The mayor of Istanbul, opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in Turkey, believes that foreign governments have not responded actively enough to his arrest, instead maintaining a “deafening silence.” He wrote about this in a column for The New York Times.

The politician noted that “social democratic leaders, mayors of cities in Turkey and beyond – from Amsterdam to Zagreb – have demonstrated their courageous and principled support.” “Civil society has not wavered either. And the central governments of foreign countries? Their silence is deafening,” the Turkish politician wrote.

In particular, he noted that Washington only expressed “concern about the recent arrests and protests” in Turkey, while European leaders, “with a few exceptions,” have failed to take a decisive position.

According to Imamoglu, such a reaction is explained by “diplomatic calculations disguised as a policy of realism.” In particular, he acknowledges that Turkey's strategic importance has grown against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine and the change of power in Syria. "But we must not overlook the erosion of values, especially human rights violations, due to geopolitics," the politician wrote. In his opinion, "preserving democracy in Turkey is crucial for its people and the future of democracy in the world."