Istanbul to select acting mayor following Imamoglu’s arrest

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) will select an acting mayor on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., following the arrest of former Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption allegations, though he was released from a separate terrorism charge.

The Municipal Council will convene to elect an acting mayor, with two prominent names emerging as frontrunners in political circles: Hasan Akgun, the longstanding mayor of Buyukcekmece, and Sinem Dedetas, the mayor of Uskudar.

“Akgun is prominent as a senior mayor who understands organizational balances well. Sinem Dedetas stands out as a young, dynamic figure who would be popular with the public,” said public opinion researcher Dr. Ibrahim Uslu.

“However, the acting mayorship selection is not the CHP’s main agenda. Their focus is more on new processes rather than who will temporarily serve as mayor.”

Main opposition party candidate most likely to be selected as Istanbul Mayor

The 314-member Municipal Council has a majority of 185 seats held by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), making it likely that a CHP candidate will be selected. President Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) holds 120 seats, with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) holding six and the Great Unity Party (BBP) having two and one independent member.

Some observers have cited Article 17 of Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216, which states “District mayors within metropolitan municipalities cannot serve as deputy mayors of metropolitan municipalities,” potentially complicating the candidacies.

However, criminal law professor Dr. Ali Kemal Yildiz clarified: “District mayors are natural members of the Metropolitan Municipal Council. The cited Article 17 is designed to ensure that when the mayor is absent, the council is led by elected council members, not by district mayors. The deputy mayorship of the council and the acting mayorship of the municipality are two different things. There is no obstacle preventing a CHP district mayor from being elected as acting mayor.”

Yildiz referenced the 2017 examples when Sincan Mayor Mustafa Tuna became Ankara’s metropolitan mayor and Basaksehir Mayor Mevlut Uysal was elected Istanbul’s mayor following Kadir Topbas’s resignation.

CHP weighs experience against potential for groundbreaking leadership

If elected, Akgun would bring extensive experience, having served as Buyukcekmece’s mayor since 1994, winning seven consecutive elections. According to reports, Imamoglu has approved his candidacy.

Conversely, Dedetas would make history as Istanbul’s first female mayor, notable for winning Uskudar for the CHP and her successful tenure at City Lines. Even before Imamoglu’s arrest, her name had been mentioned in party discussions as a potential successor should Imamoglu decide to run for president, with Hurriyet Newspaper noting that such speculation had been circulating within the party.

Other potential candidates include Eyupsultan Mayor Mithat Bulent Ozmen and the council’s current first deputy chairman, Nuri Aslan, whom Imamoglu appointed as his temporary replacement while in custody.

According to municipal law, the election requires a two-thirds majority in the first two rounds of voting. If unsuccessful, a simple majority becomes sufficient in the third round.

Should this fail, a fourth round between the top two candidates would decide, with a tie resolved by drawing lots.