The announcement was made following the detention of 22 people on June 3 as part of an investigation into financial crimes involving the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) and an alleged criminal organization led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş.
Suspended mayors: Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, and Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin.
How many people have been arrested in the Istanbul Municipality operations?
The mayors removed from office include Utku Caner Çaykara (Avcılar), Hasan Akgün (Büyükçekmece), Hakan Bahçetepe (Gaziosmanpaşa), Kadir Aydar (Ceyhan), and Oya Tekin (Seyhan).
The decision is based on Article 127 of the Constitution and Article 47 of the Municipal Law No. 5393.
New appointments are expected to be made in place of the suspended mayors.
11 CHP mayors in prison
Since the 31 March 2024 local elections, investigations targeting CHP-run municipalities in İstanbul have intensified.
İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was imprisoned on 23 March 2025 on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist organization, raising the total number of jailed CHP mayors to 11. Other mayors arrested on various charges, including bribery, corruption in tenders, and alleged terrorist links.
(TY/VC/DT)
