Nuri Aslan of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been elected interim mayor of Istanbul, following the imprisonment of incumbent Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges.
Aslan will serve for the remainder of Imamoglu’s term as the detained mayor awaits trial, Turkish media reported on Wednesday.
Local broadcaster NTV and the Anadolu news agency said Aslan was selected in a municipal vote, defeating Zeynel Abidin Okul of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) after three rounds of balloting.
In the first round, Aslan secured 173 votes against Okul’s 123. The second round saw Aslan receive 177 votes and Okul 125.
With neither candidate achieving the two-thirds majority required in the first two rounds, a third round was held, where a simple majority was sufficient. Aslan again received 177 votes, securing his election.
Speaking at the Istanbul Municipality building in Sarachane following the vote, CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel hailed the result as a blow to what he described as the government’s attempt to seize control of Istanbul through undemocratic means.
“The struggle will expand to all of Turkiye from now on, but one leg will always be in Istanbul and one hand will always be on Sarachane,” Ozel said. “The public’s resistance has blocked Erdogan’s push to appoint a trustee at the municipality.”
Aslan, standing beside Ozel, emphasized the temporary nature of his appointment, saying he was holding the post in trust for Imamoglu.
“Our mayor, elected with the votes of Istanbul, will come back as soon as possible. We, along with our chairman, will take care of what he entrusted us with and give it back to him,” Aslan said.
The election comes amid ongoing nationwide protests sparked by Imamoglu’s arrest on March 19 in connection with a graft and “terrorism” investigation. While the court has dismissed the terrorism charge for now, his supporters have labeled the case a politically motivated “coup.”
Since the arrest, thousands have taken to the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and other cities, defying protest bans. Authorities have responded with a heavy-handed crackdown.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Tuesday that police had detained 1,418 people so far, including 11 journalists covering the protests. Seven of those journalists remain in custody.
Despite the arrests and restrictions on public gatherings, demonstrations have continued. However, in a potential shift in approach, the CHP said it was not calling for another nightly protest outside the Istanbul mayor’s office on Wednesday.
President Erdogan remained defiant in the face of the public outcry, describing the demonstrations as “provocations” by the opposition.
“Those who spread terror in the streets and want to set fire to this country have nowhere to go. The path they have taken is a dead end,” Erdogan said on Wednesday, referring to the protesters.
Government officials have denied any political motivation behind the case against Imamoglu, insisting that Turkiye’s judiciary functions independently. Rights groups, however, have expressed concern over the government’s response to the protests and the broader implications for democracy in the country.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ