Balçova Mayor Onur Yiğit Removed, Deputy Election Scheduled for July 10

Turkey’s Interior Ministry temporarily suspended Balçova mayor Onur Yiğit after a bribery investigation placed him under judicial control and house arrest. The ministry invoked the Constitution and the Municipal Law as a precautionary measure.

An extraordinary session of the Balçova municipal council was ordered to elect a mayor‑deputy on 10 July 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in the municipality’s service building, in accordance with Article 45 of Municipal Law No. 5393. The election follows a wider anti‑corruption operation on 25 June that detained numerous officials, including mayors of Balçova and neighboring Seferihisar, on allegations of organized‑crime‑related bribery, fraud, and abuse of public office.