Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu "is fighting for justice," a member of the European Parliament said Friday after visiting him in prison, where he is being held on charges that could carry 2,430 years of jail time.
Isabel Wiseler-Lima was speaking after a delegation of lawmakers from the European Parliament's human rights subcommittee travelled to meet Imamoglu at the end of a two-day trip to Turkey for talks on the state of democracy and the rule of law in a country which has long sought to join the EU.
On Friday, they travelled to Silivri prison near Istanbul, Turkey's largest prison, where they met him and with philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been behind bars for nearly a decade.
Wiseler-Lima, who headed the delegation, said they met Imamoglu for more than an hour, describing him as determined and focussed on his legal defence despite his incarceration.
"I think he really appreciated the interest of the European Parliament and that we were there," she told a small group of journalists including AFP.
"He is in prison, which is never an easy situation, but he was there with his documents, and had already met his lawyer, he is fighting, and that is a good thing," she said.
A key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Imamoglu is widely seen as the only politician capable of defeating the long-serving leader at the ballot box.
His jailing in March was widely seen as politically motivated, sparking Turkey's largest wave of protests in over a decade. The authorities responded with a crackdown that led to the arrest of some 2,000 demonstrators.
Facing a bewildering array of charges, Imamoglu will go on trial in the main graft case on 9 March.
Wiseler-Lima said Imamoglu was caught in an intense judicial battle, which he would have to win before being able to return fully to political life.
"For the moment he is really very strongly in a judicial fight... He's fighting for justice (and the right) to (continue) his political struggle," she said in response to an AFP question.
'Not just words but actions'
The visit was intended to convey resolutions adopted by the European Parliament and to underline what they described as growing international calls for Imamoglu's release, she said.
"Not only in the European Parliament, but internationally, there is a call for him to be free and able to continue" his political path, she added.
"We really want to show him there is support for a just ruling (and) for justice."
The MEPs also met with members of the opposition and ruling party as well as civil society representatives, stressing their concerns about human rights and the rule of law and calling for concrete steps rather than assurances.
"We insist very strongly on human rights and the rule of law -- these are fundamental," she said.
"At the moment, there are clear problems, and we are asking for real signs, not just words but actions, that show this is the direction Turkey wants to take."