Mounting political pressure and judicial harassment aimed at weakening Turkey’s main opposition threaten the country’s democratic future, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Turkey at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) warned in a statement on Monday.
Lord David Blencathra and Stefan Schennach said criminal investigations targeting Republican People’s Party (CHP) officials and legal proceedings over alleged irregularities at party congresses undermine political pluralism, the will of voters and trust in democratic governance.
“We are seriously concerned not only about abuses of human rights and the rule of law, but also about the future of democracy in Türkiye” the rapporteurs said, urging authorities to immediately halt what they called judicial harassment and politically motivated investigations targeting CHP representatives.
The rapporteurs said the arrest of hundreds of CHP mayors and officials, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the annulment of the party’s October 2023 İstanbul provincial congress were deliberate attempts to weaken the main opposition.
The CHP has been under increasing government pressure since early 2025. More than 500 people linked to the party or the İstanbul Municipality have been detained or arrested since March. Among them are 17 CHP mayors, including İmamoğlu, who was also suspended from office.
İmamoğlu, a senior member of CHP and party’s presidential candidate for the 2028 general election, was detained on March 19 and later arrested on corruption charges, one of many investigations the co-rapporteurs consider to be politically motivated. His detention, widely seen as an attempt to sideline President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main rival ahead of the 2028 vote, sparked large nationwide protests.
As part of the crackdown a Turkish court annulled the October 2023 İstanbul provincial congress, removed provincial chairman Özgür Çelik along with his executive team, suspended nearly 200 local delegates and froze the party’s internal election process. Prosecutors also filed an indictment against 10 party officials including Çelik, seeking prison sentences of up to three years over alleged manipulation of internal party elections during the congress.
The rapporteurs noted that PACE has repeatedly condemned Turkey’s repression of critics, abuse of detention, politicization of the judiciary and violations of fundamental freedoms. Citing Turkey’s obligations as a Council of Europe member, they urged the authorities to uphold democratic values, the rule of law and human rights.
