Hanno Benz reaffirms solidarity with Ekrem İmamoğlu and calls for the strengthening of municipal partnerships
At the invitation of the Turkish Association of Cities and Towns (TBB), Mayor Hanno Benz participated in a conference of German and Turkish mayors in Istanbul on Tuesday, April 8. The German Association of Cities and Towns was an official cooperation partner of the event. The invitation to the conference had been extended weeks earlier by the then TBB President and Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is now imprisoned.
Benz used the meeting to renew a clear declaration of solidarity: "We stand by Ekrem İmamoğlu and join him in committing to European values such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights." The Presidium of the German Association of Cities had already adopted a corresponding resolution at the end of March.
In a joint statement at the town twinning summit, the participants emphasized: “Cities are places where democracy and freedoms are lived and protected. Local governments are central institutions for a just and participatory society.”
Benz stated: “We have expressed our solidarity with all democratically elected mayors who have been deprived of their freedom – such as our colleague Ekrem İmamoğlu.”
During the conference, the mayor of Darmstadt also met with Mustafa Bozbey, the new mayor of Bursa, with which Darmstadt has maintained a city partnership since 1971. Both emphasized their desire to deepen cooperation and further strengthen exchange between the two cities.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/ho)
