The DEM Party Central Executive Board issued a statement condemning the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, as well as Şişli mayor Resul Emrah Şahan and Beylikdüzü mayors.

The statement said: "Give up these practices immediately. Stop instrumentalizing the judiciary. Immediately release those detained. As we have stated many times before, all of these practices are coup practices. Turkey is experiencing an increasingly obvious 'judiciary and government jointly produced' civil coup process targeting all political and social opposition.

The statement added: "The unlawful, arbitrary and antidemocratic practices that have been carried out for years against our party and politics have unfortunately taken all of Turkey captive at this stage. This trustee and coup mentality is the biggest conspiracy against the future of Turkey and society.

The justifications put forward in the detention operation are excuses that cannot cover up this coup and unlawfulness. Targeting 'Urban Consensus', democratic politics and political consensus is the indigestion and revenge of the defeat in the local elections. Both yesterday's trustee practices and today's operation are attacks on the will of the people. It is also an attempt to eliminate one's political opponent and maintain one's power in the future."

The statement underlined that "what is happening today is also an attack aimed at breaking the hopes of the people of Turkey for peace and democracy. It is an effort to sabotage the change initiative that will start in Turkey and spread to the Middle East. We never accept it. These practices will never benefit either Turkey or those who approve them. Just as it did yesterday, all of these practices will backfire on the conscience of society today."

The DEM Party said it will "continue to grow its struggle to expand the democratic political arena under all circumstances. We will stand against lawlessness, coups and arbitrariness, no matter who they come from. We will defend urban consensus, common struggle, democracy, peace and freedom with greater determination than ever. We make an open call to the government: Give up these practices immediately. Stop instrumentalizing the judiciary. Immediately release those detained today."