The city of Cologne, Germany, has issued a strong statement calling for the immediate release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested earlier this week on charges including corruption and alleged links to terrorist organisations. Cologne, which has maintained a twin-city partnership with Istanbul since 1997, joined international voices expressing concern over the detention.
Cologne’s Mayor Henriette Reker addressed a letter to the Turkish Consul General in Hürth, Hüseyin Kantem Al, urging the Turkish government to respect İmamoğlu’s democratic rights and ensure he receives a fair trial. “Cologne stands for democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression,” Reker stated, adding that these values also underpin the city’s large Turkish community.
Die Verhaftung von @ekrem_imamoglu wirkt wie der Versuch Erdogans, den schärfsten Konkurrenten mit den Methoden einer Autokratie auszuschalten. Köln steht solidarisch hinter dem frei gewählten Oberhaupt seiner Partnerstadt #Istanbul. #imamoğlu
— Henriette Reker (@HenrietteReker) March 19, 2025
Democratic factions within the Cologne city council also condemned the arrest, describing it as an attack on democratic principles and an alarming development for political pluralism in Turkey.
Protests have continued across Istanbul and other cities, with thousands gathering in public squares for a second consecutive night, chanting slogans and calling for İmamoğlu’s release. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also called the arrest “a very, very bad sign” for Turkey’s relations with the European Union.
Ekrem İmamoğlu is the elected Mayor of Istanbul and a prominent opposition figure affiliated with the Republican People’s Party (CHP). His arrest comes amid heightened political tensions in Turkey ahead of local elections. Cologne and Istanbul have been sister cities since 1997, sharing cultural, educational and municipal exchange programmes. Cologne is home to one of the largest Turkish diaspora communities in Germany.
