Turkish government is undermining local democracy, EU and Turkish local leaders say

Local and regional politicians from the European Union and from Türkiye have called on the Turkish government to stop replacing elected mayors with government-appointed trustees.

"This practice is undermining the very nature of local self-government," said Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), President of Bremen State Parliament, speaking on behalf of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), in her role as chair of the CoR's Working Group on Türkiye. 

She was speaking on 2 December in Istanbul at a meeting of the Working Group, which brings together members of the CoR and representatives of Turkish regional and local government.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul and President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, said: "Local politics is never a subordinate or second-class field of politics under national politics."

The European Union has repeatedly condemned the removal of many elected mayors and their replacement with government appointees in recent years. The practice was condemned the European Commission's report on Türkiye's progress on reforms, published on 30 October, which found that the government’s pressure on mayors from opposition parties continued to weaken local democracy.

The challenges faced by Turkish local and regional authorities was a major point of discussion in the meeting, which reviewed recent developments in Türkiye and EU-Türkiye relations. The European Commission report noted some important progress, particularly in areas related to economic and monetary policy. Areas of serious concern for the EU include respect for the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, and differences between Turkey and the EU on foreign and security policy. These concerns would be further aggravated if government plans to introduce a foreign-agent law and a media-freedom law were to materialise.

The Working Group on Türkiye also discussed how local governments in Türkiye are trying to develop their entrepreneurial ecosystems, develop their local economics, and encourage entrepreneurship. The meeting was preceded by a visit to a case study of a local-government initiative, in the Şişli Municipality in Istanbul.

Quotes:  

• Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), President of Bremen State Parliament and chair of the CoR Working Group on Turkey: "The CoR Working Group on Türkiye remains critical to the relation between the EU and Türkiye as a unique and opened dialogue pathway with Türkiye as a strategic partner and candidate country to the EU. Today we need to use this dialogue to share our concerns about the ongoing trend to dismiss democratically elected mayors and replace them with government trustees. This practice is undermining the very nature of local self-government, the choice of municipal leaders must always be given to the people. Local democracy will remain an integral part of the EU-Türkiye's relations, and any positive agenda should be linked to a genuine improvement of democracy. The last local elections in Türkiye were a milestone in that respect and the process of re-engagement is already yielding results. We municipal and regional politicians should actively sustain this trend through our city diplomacy." 

• Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul and President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey: "Local politics is never a subordinate or second-class field of politics under national politics. Local governments are the ones who understand the public’s expectations, needs, and frustrations the best, and they produce tangible and practical solutions not only to today’s problems but also to the challenges of the future. Local politics establishes the closest relationship with citizens by connecting democracy and effective governance. Therefore, it is vital for national and local governments to work in collaboration and establish a healthy dialogue."