The European Parliament (EP) has adopted a resolution denouncing the Turkish government’s continued dismissal and arrest of elected mayors, labelling the practice as a violation of democratic principles and fundamental rights. The resolution, approved on 13 February, highlights growing concerns over Ankara’s democratic backsliding and urges the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions on Turkish officials involved in the appointment of unelected trustees.
The resolution follows a pattern of increasing pressure on Turkey regarding its policies towards opposition-led municipalities. Since the 2024 local elections, the Turkish Interior Ministry has removed at least ten mayors from office, eight of whom are from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and two from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The resolution specifically highlights the cases of Abdullah Zeydan, the elected mayor of Van (Wan), who was removed from office shortly after his victory in April 2024 and sentenced to prison earlier this week, as well as Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the DEM mayor of Hakkâri.
The European Parliament’s resolution makes several demands:
Immediate reinstatement: Calls for the immediate release and reinstatement of all elected mayors unless credible, court-verified evidence of wrongdoing exists.
Sanctions against Turkish officials: Urges the European Council to impose restrictive measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EUGHRSR) against individuals responsible for these anti-democratic practices.
Abolition of the trustee system: Calls for judicial reforms to eliminate the government’s trustee system, which has predominantly targeted Kurdish-led municipalities since its introduction via emergency decree in 2016.
Compliance with European legal norms: Demands that Turkey align its policies with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and implement all European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings.
Conditional EU funding: Reaffirms that financial assistance to Turkey under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) should be conditional in respect of democracy and human rights.
The Turkish government’s use of trustees to replace elected officials has been a point of contention since 2016, when emergency decrees enabled Ankara to bypass municipal councils and appoint government trustees instead. This practice has been predominantly used against Kurdish-led municipalities, with critics arguing that it undermines local governance and disenfranchises millions of voters.
The resolution is the first instance of the European Parliament explicitly calling for sanctions against Turkish officials over this issue, marking a significant escalation in EU-Turkey relations. The European Council is now expected to deliberate on potential measures in response to the EP’s recommendations.
