Üsküdar election postponed to Sept. 8

The election that was expected to determine Üsküdar’s acting mayor has been pushed back to Sept. 8 after the municipal council failed to secure a simple majority. The meeting took place under heavy security, with neither spectators nor members of the press allowed inside.

CHP spokesperson and deputy chairman responsible for local government Müslim Sarı said the CHP and New Party groups had decided not to attend the session. He said the move would allow detained council members to vote, adding that the lack of a simple majority had consequently forced the postponement.

The AK Party’s Istanbul provincial organization said it would attend the council meeting “to represent the will of our Üsküdar neighbors.” Sarı had said the previous day that the party would consider every option, including not taking part in the election.

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We have decided, as the CHP and New Party groups, not to attend today's Üsküdar Municipality acting mayor election so that our council members who are in detention can cast their votes.

The postponement came as prosecutors continued an investigation into alleged irregularities in Üsküdar’s building permit and occupancy procedures. Deputy Mayor Amine Cansu Çelik, municipal licensing director Burak Aydın and business operator Erdem Koyunyerli were sent to court after questioning. A judgeship ordered all three detained, as prosecutors had requested.

The dispute follows an earlier election held on Aug. 5 after Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was detained and removed from office. CHP candidate Sibel Tan Çetinkaya won that vote, while AK Party candidate Dündar Ziya Gültekin received 18 votes. Gültekin later challenged the result, and Istanbul’s Second Administrative Court ordered a stay of execution. The Istanbul governor’s office then called the municipal council to a new election on Sept. 5.

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We will be present in the council to represent the will of our Üsküdar neighbors.