Istanbul, March 29 : The European Union delegation visited jailed Istanbul Mayor and Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu in a show of solidarity after he was arrested.

Imamoglu is considered to be a strong contender in the Turkish Presidential elections for 2028.

The delegation included Vice President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley, who met Imamoglu in Istanbul's Marmara Prison. The delegation expressed support for the jailed mayor and protesters who are protesting against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following the visit, an official statement of the Party of European Socialists (PES) stated that the arrest has sent shockwaves in Turkey, leading to thousands of protests across the country condemning this shameful act.

It claimed that around 1800 people have been allegedly detained by the authorities.

'The imprisonment of Ekrem Imamoglu has shocked us. We remain deeply concerned by the backsliding of the rule of law and threats to democracy in Turkey. We reiterate our call to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to immediately release Imamoglu and to cease attacks on the media and protestors,' said PES President Stefan Lofven.

Vice President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley alleged that President Erdogan disregards the laws in his own country or changes them to secure his endless rulership.

The PES delegation visited the CHP office in Istanbul and met with the party leader, Ozgur Ozel. PES President Stefan Lofven and Ozgul agreed that Erdogan is 'weaponising' the judiciary, the prisons, and the police to silence any opposition to his regime.

Earlier, the European Commission urged Turkey to 'uphold democratic values' as both a member of the Council of Europe and an EU candidate state, following the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu.

/IANS