Operations at Üsküdar Municipality Escalate as Council Members Face Arrests Before Vote

Üsküdar will hold another vote for deputy mayor on Sept. 5, while arrests and detentions continue to reshape the political dispute around the municipality.

The process began after Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested at the end of July and removed from office by the Interior Ministry in an investigation into the municipality’s zoning and licensing procedures. The Istanbul governor’s office then convened the municipal council on Aug. 5 to elect a deputy mayor.

CHP candidate Sibel Tan Çetinkaya defeated AKP candidate Dündar Ziya Gültekin in the fourth round, receiving 22 votes. The first two rounds failed to produce the required majority. Changes in the AKP candidate’s vote total during the third round, along with the invalidation of some ballots, triggered a dispute.

The AKP challenged the result in court, arguing that some votes had been wrongly invalidated. Istanbul’s Second Administrative Court suspended the implementation of the decision concerning the election. After a regional administrative court rejected the municipality’s appeal, the way opened for a new vote.

The rerun has become more contentious because of arrests before the ballot. CHP deputy mayors Amine Cansu Çelik and Mithat Özdemir were detained on Sept. 2 as part of the investigation. Council First Deputy Chair Ali Aral and Deputy Chair Nihat Doğan were released after giving statements. This morning, municipal council member Ekrem Baki, who moved from the AKP to the CHP, and Licensing and Inspection Department head Burak Aydın were also detained. Authorities said Baki’s detention formed part of the investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The opposition says holding the vote while some council members remain detained could affect the political balance. The governing side says the investigation is judicial and that the election schedule follows legal procedure.