A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, led by Congress President Marc Cools, will carry out a fact-finding visit to Türkiye on 4 and 5 September 2025. The visit is prompted by the arrest and detention of Enes Hocaoğulları, Congress youth delegate in respect of Türkiye, following his intervention at the Congress plenary session in March.
The delegation also includes Congress Spokesperson on Youth Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD) and Deputy Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), and is accompanied by Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori. The delegation is expected to visit Enes Hocaoğulları in prison in Ankara and to hold meetings with Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Karaköse, the Ankara Bar Association, human rights and youth organisations, as well as the Turkish delegation to the Congress.
A press conference on the results of the visit will be organised on Friday 5 September at 12:30pm in the Ankara Hilton Hotel (Tahran Caddesi No 12, Kavaklidere, Ankara, 06700), with English/Turkish interpretation.
