Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected a statement from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs that voiced “deep concern” over the 5 July arrests of the opposition mayors of Adana, Antalya and Adıyaman. Ankara said late on 7 July that the French comments amounted to interference in its domestic affairs and urged Paris to “respect Türkiye’s judicial sovereignty and focus on its own internal matters.” Paris had linked the latest detentions to earlier cases, including the 23 March imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the 1 July arrest of members of Izmir’s municipal administration. It called for respect for fair-trial guarantees, freedom of expression and the rights of elected officials, describing those principles as fundamental to the rule of law. Responding, the Turkish ministry insisted that all proceedings are conducted by independent courts under the constitution and said France was applying “double standards,” citing legal actions against French politicians. Ankara added that it safeguards the right to a fair trial for all citizens.