France expressed its “deep concern” over the decision of the Prosecutor’s Office to bring charges against the city’s elected mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, for 142 offenses, calling it a decision that “harms democracy and political pluralism.”

“This decision concerns us, as it appears to harm democracy and political pluralism,” said the spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry, Pascal Confavreux.

“Respect for the rights of elected local officials and opposition lawmakers, the right to a fair trial, and the freedom of assembly and expression are the foundations of the rule of law,” he added, recalling that these are “commitments that Turkey has undertaken as a member state of the Council of Europe.”