Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev Joins Istanbul Rally Supporting Imprisoned Opposition Mayors - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency
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Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev attended an opposition rally in Istanbul, showing support for the detained mayors of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP). Terziev was present in his capacity as chairman of the B40 Balkan Cities Network, alongside Jaume Collboni, vice-chairman of the Eurocities Network and mayor of Barcelona.

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev attended an opposition rally in Istanbul, showing support for the detained mayors of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP). Terziev was present in his capacity as chairman of the B40 Balkan Cities Network, alongside Jaume Collboni, vice-chairman of the Eurocities Network and mayor of Barcelona. Both joined the guests on the rostrum at the event, held in the center of Istanbul to back imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other arrested CHP officials.

The rally, titled “The People Stand Up for Their Will,” was broadcast live on opposition channels HalkTV, Sozcu, and Cumhuriyet TV. CHP leader Özgür Özel introduced the European guests from the stage, noting that a delegation of ten European mayors and representatives from various cities would engage in discussions throughout the day. The delegation plans to present the “Special Democracy Award” to İmamoğlu, currently held in Silivri prison, and will make statements following meetings with him, including a visit to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

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    The delegation, which included four Balkan mayors from Sofia, Bucharest, Athens and Zagreb, intended to meet Imamoglu on Thursday to show their support and present him with a “special democracy award” in prison. But Turkish authorities vetoed the visit, and no official explanation was given for the decision.

    After being prevented from visiting Imamoglu, the delegation held a press conference in front of the prison, handing the democracy award instead to Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek.

    “European mayors are speaking with one voice. We are a force for democratic resistance. We will continue to stand together with our colleague Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. His courage in defence of democratic principles inspires us all,” said Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni, who is also vice-president of Eurocities, an alliance of larger European cities.

    Sofia’s mayor, Vasil Terziev, also spoke, expressing the Balkan Cities Network’s support for Imamoglu.

    “I stand here as president of the B40 Balkan Cities Network, a network established by Ekrem Imamoglu. The gates and walls of this prison are not only a barrier for one man but also for the will of millions of citizens of Istanbul who elected their mayor,” Terziev said.

    He said that Balkan mayors also face judicial pressures and political imprisonment in their own countries. “An attack on a democratically elected mayor is an attack on all democratic institutions regardless of the country. That is why our solidarity with Imamoglu…is a democratic and moral responsibility,” Terziev added.

    Apart from Collboni and Terziev, the delegation included Zagreb mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, Athens mayor Haris Doukas, Timisoara Mayor Dominic Fritz, Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma, Budapest mayor Gergely Szilveszter Karacsony, Paris deputy mayor Arnaud Ngatcha, Madrid international relations general director Jose Francisco Herrera Antonaya and Eurocities secretary-general Andre Sobczak.

    https://balkaninsight.com/2025/08/28/turkey-bars-balkan-european-mayors-from-visiting-jailed-opposition-leader/