European mayors to meet with Imamoglu to discuss democracy

Mayors of Paris, Athens, Florence and Hanover will attend a meeting with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday to discuss how cities can collaborate on protecting democracy and the rule of law, Kathimerini reported.

Budapest, Hamburg, Linz, and Utrecht mayors will also join the meeting online, it said.

The Eurocities European Network Secretary General Andre Sobczak will speak at the event called “Cities: Democracy and Development”, Kathimerini said, adding that mayors are expressing their support for Imamoglu.

A Turkish court on Dec.14 has sentenced Imamoglu to 2 years, 7 months and 15 days in prison on charges of insulting the members of a top election board. The court also banned him from politics, a decision which needs to be finalized by the supreme court in order to be implemented.