The Council of the Socialist International on Saturday called for the release of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose arrest two months ago triggered a wave of protests in Turkey.
The March 19 detention and subsequent arrest of İmamoğlu, widely seen as the biggest political rival to longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election, sparked Turkey’s worst protests in decades.
Meeting in İstanbul, leaders of socialist parties from various countries, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, held banners Saturday reading “Free İmamoğlu,” images broadcast by the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) showed.
“Everyone in this room has sacrificed a lot to defend democracy,” said Sanchez, who chairs the Socialist International Council.
“We are going through difficult times, many of our friends are in prison. We stand by our comrades in Belarus, Niger, Venezuela and Turkey.”
Sanchez also met with Erdoğan on Friday.
The same day, Turkish media reported that police had arrested some 44 people in raids linked to alleged corruption at İstanbul City Hall.
İmamoğlu has denied the corruption charges.
© Agence France-Presse