AKP takes control of İstanbul’s Ataşehir district after mayor’s arrest

Serdar Orhan, backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AKP and its ally the MHP, was elected acting mayor of Ataşehir, a district in İstanbul.

The vote followed the arrest and suspension of elected mayor Onursal Adıgüzel, and then the arrest and suspension of his replacement, Murat Güneş.

Prosecutors allege that municipal officials sought payments from construction companies in exchange for permits.

Opposition council members boycotted the vote, leaving Orhan as the only candidate.

The council’s balance had shifted after six members elected on the opposition CHP ticket joined the AKP, while other members left the CHP.

Opposition supporters allege political pressure around the arrests and vote; the government says prosecutors and courts act independently.

The change adds to a broader shift in control of municipalities won by the CHP in 2024, as investigations and arrests have affected local governments in several areas.