The Üsküdar Municipal Council held an extraordinary meeting to elect a deputy mayor to replace Sinem Dedetaş, who was arrested recently. A fierce competition emerged in the council for the vacant mayoral seat following an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Tensions ran high between the parties throughout the four rounds of voting. In the final round, AKP candidate Dündar Ziya Gültekin secured the majority with 23 votes and was elected deputy mayor. As the election results were finalized, AKP officials and council members heading toward the municipal building faced off against opposition parties at the entrance.
Members of the CHP and the New Party gathered in front of the municipality to protest the election results, forming a barricade at the building's entrance. The AKP delegation, which was loudly booed by opposition members as they attempted to enter the building, quickly moved inside under security measures. The protests and intense chanting kept the atmosphere heated for a long time.
Following these political developments in Üsküdar, how the political balance in the district will be affected remains a subject of curiosity.
News Source: 12punto
