CHP picks deputy mayors in Balçova and Seferihisar districts of İzmir, Turkey

In the Balçova district of İzmir, mayor Onur Yiğit was suspended by Turkey’s Interior Ministry and placed under house arrest. The municipal council scheduled an extraordinary meeting for 10 July 2026, and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) selected the council’s oldest member, Selahattin Yıldız, to open the session and run as its candidate for the mayor‑vice position.

In neighbouring Seferihisar, mayor İsmail Yetişkin was detained and also removed from office. An extraordinary council meeting on 6 July 2026 elected CHP candidate Fuat Gümüş as mayor‑vice with 17 votes, defeating Zafer Party nominee Çağatay Rasim Çağır (1 vote) and an unexpected AK Party vote for Ümit Cingöz (1 vote). The AK Party had publicly announced it would not field a candidate.

Both selections follow recent legal actions against the incumbent mayors, with the CHP asserting confidence in restoring local governance.