Veli Balyemez Named Candidate for Buca Mayor Deputy Election

AK Party İzmir provincial chairman Bilal Saygılı announced that Veli Balyemez will be the Cumhur İttifakı candidate in the Buca municipality mayor‑deputy election scheduled for 12 June. Saygılı said the decision followed consultations with the party’s central leadership, parliamentarians, alliance representatives and that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the nomination.

The candidacy comes after former Buca mayor Görkem Duman was removed from office and detained in a multi‑province anti‑corruption operation, leaving the mayor‑deputy seat vacant. The upcoming vote will determine who fills the post and is expected to reshape the local political balance in the İzmir district of Buca.