Germany has condemned the "absolutely unacceptable" arrest and suspension of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges, while Greece has expressed concern about the situation in Turkey.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters that Germany was following the developments in Turkey "with great concern" and that it was calling on Ankara to "clarify [the situation] very quickly and in a very transparent manner".
Germany is the country with the largest Turkish community abroad.
In Athens, a Greek government spokesman said Greece considered the situation in Turkey to be "unstable and worrying".
"Concessions to the rule of law and civil liberties cannot be tolerated", Pavlos Marinakis said, adding that Ankara would have to provide "convincing answers to any alleged violation of these principles".
The Greek spokesman also warned that, under these conditions, it would be "difficult" to organise the next meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan.
"It is becoming difficult, as you can understand, to organise the High Cooperation Council between Greece and Turkey immediately in Ankara," he said.
No exact date has been officially announced for the meeting, which is part of efforts made since December 2023 to bring together the two historic regional rivals, but partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
However, the Greek daily Kathimerini had mentioned April 8 as the date for a meeting between the two leaders.
Imamoglu, who was suspended from office and arrested on Sunday, was officially named on the same day as a candidate in the next presidential election, scheduled for 2028.
The Republican People's Party (CHP, social democrats), the main opposition force, held primary elections on Sunday in which Imamoglu - Erdogan's main opponent - was the only candidate.
The opposition is calling for the presidential election to be brought forward and considers the legal proceedings against Imamoglu to be a ploy by Erdogan's current government to block the popular mayor's path to the presidency.
Protests are threatening to escalate in Turkey following the arrest of the popular mayor of Istanbul, with renewed calls for demonstrations on Monday across the country, which has been rocked by protests on a scale not seen since 2013.
Imamoglu spent the first night in prison in Silivri, west of Istanbul, after being formally removed from office on Sunday on corruption charges.
The mayor and political leader denied the accusations.
"I am here. I am wearing a white shirt and you will not be able to dirty it. My fist is strong and you will not be able to twist it. I will not retreat even a millimeter. I will win this war," Iamamoglu said in a message sent by his defense lawyers.
The accusations and the arrest of Imamoglu sparked protests in Türkiye, with new demonstrations being called across the country today.
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