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PRESS RELEASE

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Türkiye: Council of Europe Congress deeply deplores the arrest of Congress Vice-President and Üsküdar Mayor, Sinem Dedetas

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is the political assembly representing local and regional governments across the 46 member States, responsible for promoting and monitoring local

Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG) and Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), Rapporteurs on the situation of local democracy in Türkiye for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, have issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest of Congress Vice-President and Mayor of Üsküdar, Sinem Dedetas (Türkiye, SOC/G/PD):

"We deeply deplore the detention of Sinem Dedetas, Mayor of Üsküdar and Vice-President of the Congress, on corruption charges. This further exemplifies the persistent pattern of detentions affecting CHP mayors and officials. We are extremely concerned by these systematic arrests of opposition local elected representatives. Respecting the will of voters is fundamental; however, since the 2024 local elections, many Turkish citizens have seen their votes disregarded.

"As a member of the Council of Europe, Türkiye is bound to respect democratic principles, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights, including the rights of the opposition. The role of opposition voices is crucial in any healthy democracy. We urge the Turkish authorities to fully honour these commitments.

" We call on the Turkish authorities to engage in a meaningful political dialogue with the Congress to this end."

Contact: Congress Communication Unit ( ,

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Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, the Congress brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.

President of the Congress: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).

Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), Patriots for Europe (PfE).

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