CEMR expresses solidarity with the detained Mayor of Üsküdar in Türkiye
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), together with President Christoph Schnaudigel, voices full solidarity with Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, member of the CEMR Policy Committee, following her detention, and calls on Turkish authorities and European institutions to defend local self-government and the rule of law.
CEMR has issued a statement expressing its deep concern over the detention today of Sinem Dedetaş, Mayor of Üsküdar and member of the CEMR Policy Committee, along with several members of her team.
CEMR stresses that this is not an isolated case, but the latest in a sustained series of actions targeting democratically elected local representatives in Türkiye. Since the 2024 local elections, more than 80 municipalities in the country have seen their elected mayors replaced through trustee appointments, dismissals or arrests, while over 30 mayors have been detained, many remaining in prolonged pre-trial detention.
“As President of CEMR, I wish to express full solidarity with Mayor Sinem Dedetaş and with all local elected representatives affected by these developments“, writes Christoph Schnaudigel, CEMR President and President of the County of Karlsruhe (Germany).
It should be noted that when mayors and local leaders are deprived of their liberty and unable to exercise the mandates entrusted to them by citizens, the consequences extend far beyond those directly concerned: each case leaves a community without the representatives it elected. Taken together, these developments point to a steady erosion of local democracy and a lack of respect for the will of voters in Türkiye.
CEMR recalls the importance of the principles enshrined in the European Charter of Local Self-Government, including respect for democratic mandates and the autonomy of local governments; principles CEMR considers essential to maintaining citizens’ trust in democratic institutions at all levels.
CEMR calls on the Turkish authorities to ensure full respect for fundamental democratic standards and the rule of law, and to guarantee that elected representatives can carry out their responsibilities freely and without undue interference. It also calls on European institutions and the international community to stand in solidarity with democratically elected local representatives in Türkiye, and to continue advocating for the protection of local self-government, democratic institutions and the rule of law.
CEMR will continue to monitor developments closely and stand alongside its members and partners in Türkiye in their commitment to democratic local governance.
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Secretary General
