Tolga Bozoglu / EPA
Turkish President Recep Erdogan
The acting president of Istanbul City Council states the European Union is soft on Turkey becautilize it necessarys Ankara. According to Nuri Aslan, security necessarys dissuade the EU from confronting Turkey on the rule of law.
Europe is turning a blind eye to democratic setback in Türkiye becautilize you necessary the military and economic weight of the counattempt, stated the interim president of the Istanbul Chamber, Nuri Aslan, in an interview with .
Aslan was in Brussels to receive an award from the European Committee of the Regions, on behalf of his predecessor in the municipality, Ekrem İmamoğluwho was distinguished for his work in defense of local democracy. İmamoğlu suspfinished his mandate in 2019 and was detained in 2025, accutilized of “insulting the authorities”.
The acting president emphasizes that the distinction contrasts in a marked way with what he described as the Europe’s discreet response to the detention of politicians opposition in Türkiye.
“The EU is aware of the global situation. turkish armed forces and Türkiye’s defense capabilities are very strong, and Europe currently has a gap of security. That’s why, Europe does not want to confront Turkey firmly on democratic and legal issues”.
These statements highlight the delicate balance that shapes the relationship between Brussels and Ankara, especially when wars in Ukraine and the Middle East increased Türkiye’s strategic importance for NATO and European security.
“These governments that constantly talk about democracy and the rule of law, unfortunately, didn’t place themselves firmly enough on the side of democracy becautilize of their own short-term interests”, stated the mayor.
Aslan points out that 16 mayors of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), are currently imprisonedincluding İmamoğlu.
“You cannot arrest all mayors or all politicians. If, in a society, something is considered right when it is done by some, but wrong when it is done by others, there will be no trust or stabilityand that hurts the economy.”
Even so, the mayor adopted a optimistic tone regarding Türkiye’s political direction. “I see this as something temporary, like an illnesslike catching the flu,” he stated. “The Turkish state and its administrators will quickly correct these illegal processes and bring them back within the framework of the law.”
İmamoğlu torno-se o Erdoğan’s most prominent political opponent and is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate. “These arrests are clearly contrary to the conditions of a democratic, secular state governed by law”, explained the interim president.
Despite criticizing the European response, Aslan insisted that Türkiye’s future remains firmly attached to the mainland. “Turkish society and the Republic of Türkiye are oriented towards Europe,” he stated.
Formal neobtainediations are, in practice, frozen for yearsgiven concerns about democratic regression and the weakening of the rule of law. Still, Aslan added, a future CHP-led government would relocate quickly to relaunch the talks.
“If we come to power, we will relocate quickly towards accession to the EU. In the space of a year or two, neobtainediations would accelerate and, perhaps, in three years we could join the European Union”, he stated.
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