The detention and subsequent arrest of Elected Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) and Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer on October 1, as a result of a political operation, caused a reaction from international organizations.
Representatives of the European Union (EU) Committee of Regions, the European Council, the European Council of Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the Association of German Cities and the European Secretariat of Local Authorities for Sustainability (ICLEI) expressed their concerns about the process with the statements and letters they published.
In the statements, the democratic legitimacy of elected representatives, the autonomy of local governments, the rule of law and the arrests of opposition mayors in Turkey were discussed.
Reactions to the arrest of Vahap Seçer, who was elected with a record 60 percent of the votes in Mersin, the deprivation of freedom of elected mayors, and the interventions against the will of the people at the ballot box are growing.
The arrest of Mayor Seçer, who is based on social municipalism, participatory management, equality and the understanding of the development of the city through joint effort, is considered as an intervention against the will of the people of Mersin expressed at the ballot box.
The political operation process against Seçer also increased criticism regarding the targeting of opposition municipalities. Political interventions against local administrators who came to office with the votes of the people directly affected not only the duties of mayors, but also the democratic will of citizens through their right to vote and be elected.
In his statements after his arrest, Seçer gave the message that the services of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality will continue uninterruptedly and that the people of Mersin will not be deprived of services, and his words once again revealed the importance he attaches to the continuity of public services.
Seçer's arrest was met with great reaction throughout the country and especially in Mersin. The people of Mersin stood by the will they expressed at the ballot box and took a strong stance against the arrest of the elected mayor.
Following the rising reactions on a national scale, statements came one after another from the international community. Local government organizations in Europe reacted to Seçer's arrest and called for elected officials to perform their duties freely and to protect local democracy.
President of the Türkiye Working Group of the European Union Committee of the Regions, Huddinge Municipal Councilor Jelena Drenjanin, expressed her concern about the new arrests of opposition mayors in her post on the X platform.
Drenjanin stated that Seçer is an important interlocutor for the Committee of Regions and that he is expected to host the working group meeting planned to be held in Ankara.
Drenjanin included the following words in his post:
"I learn with great concern about the new arrests of opposition mayors in Turkey, including Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and the President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, Vahap Seçer. Mr. Seçer has been an important interlocutor for the Committee of Regions (CoR) and it was envisaged that he will host our next Working Group meeting, which is planned to be held in Ankara on November 6."
Konstantinos Koukas, President of the Assembly of Local Authorities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, condemned Seçer's arrest with the following words:
"I condemn the arrest of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Union of Municipalities of Turkey President Vahap Seçer, who is scheduled to speak at the next session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. This arrest is the continuation of a worrying pattern of arrests of opposition mayors in Turkey."
The European Council of Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) stated in its statement that they are deeply concerned about the arrest of Vahap Seçer, who also serves as CEMR Vice President.
In the statement, which included comprehensive evaluations of the state of local democracy in Turkey, it was emphasized that elected representatives should be able to fulfill their duties freely and without being exposed to unfair interference.
CEMR called on the authorities in Turkey to respect democratic powers, release the arrested elected representatives and allow them to return to their duties. In the statement made by CEMR, a call was made to Turkey with the following items:
“- Respecting the democratic powers given by citizens to local elected representatives and complying with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government;
- Release the arrested elected representatives and allow them to return to their duties;
- Ensuring that the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye operates freely and continues to be governed by representatives elected by its members.
CEMR also calls on European institutions and the wider international community to stand in solidarity with democratically elected local representatives in Turkey and to raise these cases in their dialogues with authorities in Turkey. At a time when democracy faces increasing pressures across Europe, protecting local autonomy is more important than ever. CEMR will continue to follow developments closely; It will stand determinedly by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, its members and partners in Turkey.
Christoph Schnaudigel
CEMR and Mayor of Karlsruhe”
The Union of German Cities announced in its statement that it stands in solidarity with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye and the arrested mayors.
In his assessment of the latest arrests, Burkhard Jung, President of the Association of German Cities and Mayor of Leipzig Metropolitan Municipality, clearly expressed his criticism that opposition representatives were targeted.
Jung emphasized that local autonomy, political pluralism and the rule of law are indispensable for the democratic social order. The solidarity message from the Association of German Cities to TBB and the arrested mayors is as follows:
"The news regarding the latest arrests causes us great concern. It is clear that the issue here is not real crimes, but rather a coordinated attempt targeting local politicians belonging to the opposition. Vahap Seçer, we stand in solidarity with our sister organization in Turkey, TBB, TBB member municipalities and all local government representatives working to defend local autonomy and the interests of citizens in Turkey. Local autonomy is based on the ability of democratically elected representatives to fulfill their duties and responsibilities within the framework of applicable laws.
A democracy must tolerate pluralism and different political views. The government of Turkey, a member of the Council of Europe and a candidate country for the EU, must adhere to democratic principles and the rule of law. This obligation includes respecting local autonomy and safeguarding the rights of democratically elected local politicians. We call on Turkey to adhere to democratic rules, justice, transparency and the rule of law, including its attitude towards Vahap Seçer. Long-standing relations between German and Turkish cities and numerous sister city partnerships connect our municipalities with close ties. “We are united by the belief that strong cities and a functioning system of local autonomy are of fundamental importance for a democratic social order.”
Metropolitan Mayor of Oberhausen, Germany, Thorsten Berg and First Deputy Mayor Apostolos Tsalastras made a joint statement regarding the arrest of Vahap Seçer and expressed their concerns.
The Oberhausen administration pointed out the long-standing sister city relations with Mersin and stated that the accusations against Seçer could not be independently verified and called for the protection of democratic principles, justice and transparency.
Oberhausen's statement of solidarity with its sister city Mersin and Vahap Seçer is as follows:
"The arrest of Vahap Seçer, the Metropolitan Mayor of our sister city Mersin in Turkey, deeply concerns us. The truth of the accusations against him cannot be independently verified. It is clear that what is in question here is a coordinated attempt against local opposition politicians, rather than actual crimes. Thanks to our long-standing relations and extensive sister city cooperation, we have close ties with the people of Mersin and, of course, the administration of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.
We share the belief that strong cities and a functioning local government system are fundamental to a democratic social order. During the Sister Cities Summit held in Istanbul in April 2025, a joint declaration on democracy and the rule of law was adopted by representatives of municipalities from Germany and Turkey. In this declaration, it was emphasized that cities and sister city relations are the basic foundations of democracy. This was an extremely important and powerful message for Türkiye. For this reason, we strongly emphasize that democratic rules must be followed and the principles of justice, transparency and the rule of law must be protected. These principles should also apply to Vahap Seçer!”
The European Secretariat of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) gave a message of support in the letter it sent to the employees of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality after the arrest of Vahap Seçer. In the letter, it was stated that the process affected not only the elected representatives but also the municipal organization, which works devotedly for the city.
ICLEI Europe stated that it remains committed to the cooperation with Mersin and will continue its close contact with the municipality. The following words were included in the letter:
“Dear colleagues from Mersin;
After the arrest of Mayor Vahap Seçer, we wanted to reach you personally and let you know that our wishes and support are with the Mersin team during this difficult process. Mersin has been a very valuable stakeholder for ICLEI; We attach great importance to the bond between us and the work we have had the opportunity to implement together so far. We are aware that such a situation deeply affects not only the elected representatives, but also the entire municipal organization and our colleagues who work devotedly every day to serve the city. We want you to know that our solidarity and support is with you. Our strong commitment to our cooperation with Mersin continues; “We will continue to stay in close contact with you in the coming period.”
In the statements of important organizations in Europe, in addition to the concerns regarding the arrest of Vahap Seçer, it was emphasized that the democratic legitimacy of the elected officials and the autonomy of local governments in Turkey should be protected.
Statements from institutions and representatives in Europe after Seçer's arrest revealed that protecting the will of the people is a fundamental issue not only in national politics but also in the understanding of democratic local government. While the statements of the organizations reminded the importance of democratic principles, they brought the responsibility of protecting local democracy and responding to the will of the people to the agenda once again in the international community.
