The balance of seats in the municipal council has shifted in Ataşehir Municipality ahead of the deputy mayoral election. Ekrem Köse, who was elected as a council member from the CHP list, announced his resignation from his party and stated that he will continue his duties as an independent member.
The resignation decision was announced during the first session of the Ataşehir Municipal Council's October meeting. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of 1st Deputy Speaker Tülay Uçar, saw Köse's petition read by Council Clerk Seher Gülay.
With Köse's departure, the number of CHP members in the council has fallen to 17. The number of members of the People's Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı) has been recorded as 18. Thus, the arithmetic of the council has changed by one seat ahead of the deputy mayoral election to be held on October 10.
NEW ELECTION TO BE HELD FOR DEPUTY MAYOR
The process in Ataşehir began following the arrest of Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel in April 2026. Following this development, Murat Güneş had won the subsequent deputy mayoral election.
Upon Güneş's arrest last Monday, a decision was made to hold a new election for the deputy mayor. The Istanbul Governor's Office announced that the election will take place on October 10.
Previously, six CHP council members in the Ataşehir Municipal Council had joined the AK Party. The individuals who joined the AK Party were announced as Oğuz Sarul, Sinan Emrah Yıldırım, Fatih Evliyaoğlu, Abdullah Aslan, Cengiz Kayayurt, and Mehmet Alver.
With the latest resignation, all eyes have turned to the vote where the new deputy mayor will be determined for the municipal administration.
News Source: 12punto
