The leader of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, said that the basis for cooperation between the EU and Turkey is at risk after the arrest of Turkish opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
"The EU wants a close partnership with Turkey, but this can only work on the basis of shared values," Weber stressed to the German agency, adding that using the judiciary as a political weapon was incompatible with these values.
Weber accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of leading the country "on the wrong path" and expressed concern that the rule of law and democracy in Turkey were seriously under threat.
Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of Erdogan, was arrested on corruption charges and faces a separate investigation on terrorism charges. He denies all charges. On Sunday, Imamoglu was temporarily suspended from his post as mayor of Istanbul.
Despite his detention, Turkey's main opposition party - the secular Republican People's Party (CHP) - officially nominated Imamoglu as its presidential candidate on Sunday.
According to DPA, the European Union is discussing the possibility of canceling planned talks to expand cooperation with Turkey in light of the recent events. These talks, announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, were scheduled to begin just days before Imamoglu's arrest.
The preparations included an EU-Turkey economic dialogue in April, as well as discussions on migration and security. However, initiatives such as the modernization of the customs union and visa liberalization were previously postponed due to concerns about the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.