The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) has condemned the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a prominent opposition figure in Turkey. In a statement released on Thursday, April 3, the Moroccan political party asserted that «democracy in Turkey is facing unprecedented attacks and deliberate violations orchestrated by the country's political authorities». The Moroccan socialists denounced what they described as «excessive authoritarianism», citing widespread repression of protests not seen since the major demonstrations in Istanbul in 2013. The USFP stated that those arrested are «opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's undemocratic regime». The statement recalled that İmamoğlu, «democratically elected», is expected to be the Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate in the 2028 presidential election, and thus the main rival to the current president. According to Driss Lachgar's comrades, «the popular and democratic forces of the country place their hopes in İmamoğlu». The party further emphasized that «the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is attempting to deal a fatal blow to Turkish democracy, already weakened and exhausted by authoritarianism and tyranny». The USFP called on «all progressive and democratic forces worldwide, notably the Socialist International, the Progressive Alliance, and the international community as a whole, to rally with the Turkish people to defend freedom, democracy, and the rule of law». It is worth noting that both the USFP and the Turkish Republican People's Party are members of the Socialist International.
