Germany Joins Turkey-Germany Summit Led by Detained Mayor İmamoğlu

The Turkey-Germany Sister Cities Summit officially began in Istanbul, drawing significant participation from senior German officials. The summit was initiated under the leadership and invitation of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul and presidential candidate.

Despite being unable to attend in person due to his detention, İmamoğlu delivered a powerful message through a letter, calling attention to Western silence and stressing the importance of democracy, justice, and national will in Turkey.

“We Are Taking Note of Our Friends’ Silence”

In his letter, İmamoğlu expressed regret that he could not attend the summit in person, stating:

“Due to politically motivated and baseless charges, I am imprisoned—not for legal, but purely political reasons. I send my warmest greetings and affection from my cell in Silivri.”

Addressing Western nations, he added:

“The world is entering a new era. The future of countries will be shaped by whether they stand with democracy or against it. The struggle is between the people and oligarchs, between democracy and authoritarian regimes.
Many countries and cities worldwide support the Turkish people’s voice for democracy and justice, and we are grateful.
Yet, we observe with sadness the silence of some of our friends—and we are taking note.”

A Call for Stronger Democratic Values

İmamoğlu emphasized that Turkey and Germany share a long-standing friendship and cooperation, and expressed hope that this partnership would grow further through local governance and democratic collaboration. He stressed that the foundation for such cooperation lies in strong democratic institutions, legal assurances, and political stability.

“A Turkey with a robust democracy can offer immense value to the European Union,” he stated, expressing his hope that the summit would yield practical outcomes for both nations and their local administrations.

High-Level German Delegation Participates in the Summit

Responding to İmamoğlu’s invitation, a strong delegation of German local government leaders attended the summit in Istanbul. Participants included:

• Belit Onay, Mayor of Hannover

• Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne and Vice President of the Association of German Cities

• Michael Reiffenstuel, Director of the Council of Europe Department at the German Foreign Ministry

• Regine Grienberge, German Consul General in Istanbul

In addition, Kai Wegner, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, sent a video message of support.

Local Leadership in İmamoğlu’s Absence

With İmamoğlu absent due to his detention, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was represented by Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, while Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar represented the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.