Post-holiday preparations in the AKP... CHP-held municipality set to switch to AKP

Five mayors arrested as part of Istanbul-based bribery and corruption investigations have been suspended from their duties by the Ministry of Interior. Among those removed from office are the district mayors of Istanbul's Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and Gaziosmanpaşa, as well as the district mayors of Ceyhan and Seyhan in Adana.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Interior;

Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, and Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin have been temporarily suspended from their duties due to ongoing judicial proceedings against them.

ACTING MAYOR ELECTION ON JUNE 11

The Istanbul Governor's Office has called the councils of the 3 district municipalities to an extraordinary meeting on June 11. Accordingly, the municipal councils of Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and Gaziosmanpaşa will convene on the same day to elect their acting mayors.

No date has yet been announced for the election of acting mayors in the Seyhan and Ceyhan municipalities in Adana.

GAZİOSMANPAŞA MAY PASS FROM CHP TO AKP

Following the arrest and suspension of CHP member Hakan Bahçetepe, all eyes have turned to the acting mayor election in Gaziosmanpaşa. The People's Alliance holds 21 seats in the district municipal council, while the CHP holds 16. This situation strengthens the possibility that the People's Alliance candidate will win the acting mayorship in the election.

In the 2024 local elections, CHP candidate Bahçetepe received 40.44 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating his AKP rival. However, in the same election, the majority of the municipal council passed to the AKP. While the AKP received 40.86 percent of the vote in the council, the CHP remained at 38.86 percent.

This means that the CHP is likely to lose the mayorship in Gaziosmanpaşa in the acting mayor vote to be held on June 11.

NUMBER OF SUSPENDED MAYORS RISES TO 11

With the latest operation, the number of suspended CHP mayors has risen to 11. Here are those names:

Ekrem İmamoğlu (IMM President – in office)

Utku Caner Çaykara (Avcılar)

Hasan Akgün (Büyükçekmece)

Hakan Bahçetepe (Gaziosmanpaşa)

Oya Tekin (Seyhan)

Kadir Aydar (Ceyhan)

Alaattin Köseler (Beykoz)

Mehmet Murat Çalık (Beylikdüzü)

Rıza Akpolat (Beşiktaş)

Additionally, Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan were arrested and removed from office as part of a "terrorism investigation." Trustees were appointed to these two municipalities.