The assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) convened to elect a deputy president.
At the meeting, Eskişehir Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce became the TBB Deputy President.
Following the removal of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) President Vahap Seçer from office, the TBB assembly gathered in Ankara with the agenda of 'Electing a Deputy President' in accordance with the call of the Ankara Governorship, pursuant to Article 22 of the Law on Local Administration Unions and Article 45 of the Municipal Law No. 5393. During the assembly meeting, Eskişehir Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce and Kocaeli Mayor Tahir Büyükakın were nominated as candidates.
In the deputy presidential election held with the participation of 863 members, a two-thirds majority of the total number of members, amounting to 576 votes, was sought in the first and second rounds. In the first round, Ünlüce received 409 votes while Büyükakın received 369 votes, and 4 votes were declared invalid. In the second round, Ünlüce received 403 votes while Büyükakın received 385 votes, and 2 votes were declared invalid.
In the third round, the 433 votes required for an absolute majority were sought but not reached. In the 3rd round, 769 votes were cast, with Ünlüce receiving 406 votes and Büyükakın receiving 363 votes. 6 votes were declared invalid. As a deputy president could not be elected after 3 rounds, 790 votes were cast in the fourth round. Surpassing Büyükakın, who received 369 votes, Eskişehir Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, who received 417 votes, was elected as TBB Deputy President. 4 votes were declared invalid.
"I promise you that I will carry out this duty for our municipalities and for you in an equal and fair manner, without making any distinctions"
In her victory speech, the newly elected TBB Deputy President Ünlüce said, "I have been elected to this position to act as deputy for our Union of Municipalities of Türkiye President Vahap Seçer. I promise you that until he regains his freedom and I hand this duty back to him, I will carry out this task for our municipalities and for you in an equal and fair manner, without making any distinctions.
You have waited a long time until this hour, so I will not prolong my speech. We have our ordinary general assembly next week anyway, and in order to deliver the bulk of my speech there, I would like to thank our esteemed council, who waited until this hour, cast their votes with dedication, and ensured that the election was conducted in a fair, equal, democratic, and lawful manner, as well as my fellow candidate, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın.
We have a rapport because we worked together at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Both before and during the election, we had agreed that this election would be conducted with honesty and simplicity, without leaving the slightest question mark in anyone's mind, and that is how it went. Thank you again, Mr. President, thank you very much."
WHO IS AYŞE ÜNLÜCE?
Born in Eskişehir in 1970, Ayşe Ünlüce completed her primary, secondary, and high school education in Eskişehir. A graduate of the Faculty of Law at İzmir Dokuz Eylül University, Ünlüce began her professional career as a heavy penal judge at the Ministry of Justice. Later returning to legal practice, Ünlüce served at the Legal Affairs Department of Türk Telekom A.Ş. and as Legal Counsel for Eskişehir Osmangazi University.
Having served as a board member of the Eskişehir Bar Association, President of the Women's Rights Commission, and as a delegate to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, Ünlüce has been involved in various projects in the fields of women's rights and family law. She also took an active role in the processes of the Eskişehir Women's Platform and the City Council.
Appointed as the 1st Legal Counsel of the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality in 2016, Ünlüce was appointed as the Secretary General of the Metropolitan Municipality in April 2018. Retiring from this position in December 2023, Ünlüce was announced as the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate by the CHP Party Assembly on January 10, 2024.
Ünlüce was elected Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality with 51.03 percent of the vote in the March 31, 2024 local elections. Following the elections, Ünlüce, who also joined the 14-member TBB Executive Committee at the TBB Assembly Meeting, represents Türkiye as the head of the national delegation at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
News Source: 12punto
