# Legal and political disputes in Turkish municipalities > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/legal-disputes-involving-turkish-municipal-officials > Updated: 2026-09-09T13:12:00.000Z. Sources: 87. Developments: 6. Legal and administrative disputes involving Turkish municipal officials continue to evolve following various removals and investigations. In Balçova, Mayor Onur Yiğit resumed his duties in late August after a two-month suspension. Similarly, officials from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality returned to their posts after being detained and removed as part of an İBB-related case. In Üsküdar, the leadership transition remains highly contested following the arrest of Mayor Sinem Dedetaş on charges including bribery and extortion. Investigations suggest approximately 361 million TL was illegally obtained through the municipality and its subsidiary, Kent AŞ. Following the defection of four CHP council members to the AK Party, Dündar Ziya Gültekin of the Cumhur İttifakı won the deputy mayor election on September 8, 2026, shifting control to the AK Party. YENİ Parti has launched legal challenges and criminal complaints, labeling the process a ‘planned conspiracy’ and a ‘scandal’ involving the judiciary and administration. Gökhan Günaydın of YENİ Parti characterized the process as a democracy violation and suggested the AK Party is preparing similar maneuvers for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The party’s Istanbul Provincial Chair, Özgür Çelik, reported that a defecting council member, Ayhan Aydın, claimed he was threatened with arrest and felt compelled to switch affiliations to protect his family. Consequently, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered Aydın to provide a statement regarding these coercion allegations. In response to the power shift, YENİ Parti Chairman Özgür Özel has called for early local elections, stating that if the administration does not win with at least 45 percent of the vote in a renewed election, they will not accept the mandate. The party has also scheduled its first grand congress for November 14-15 in Ankara and has prepared a backup party structure to ensure participation in the event of a sudden election call. ## Claims - The Istanbul Governor's Office scheduled the Üsküdar Municipality Council meeting for September 5, 2026, to comply with the 10-day legal requirement following the vacancy of the mayoralty. (disputed by 7 sources) - The Üsküdar Municipal Council deputy mayor election has been postponed to September 8, 2026, due to failure to reach a quorum. (disputed by 7 sources) - Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested and removed from office on August 1 following allegations of bribery and forming an organization for criminal purposes. (disputed by 6 sources) - Mayor Sinem Dedetaş of the CHP was arrested and suspended from office on July 31. (disputed) - The previous deputy mayor election, won by CHP's Sibel Tan Çetinkaya, was annulled by a court following an AK Party objection. (corroborated by 22 sources) - Four CHP municipal council members resigned to join the AK Party. (corroborated by 18 sources) - Three municipal council members have been taken into custody. (corroborated by 13 sources) - The CHP and YENİ Parti have formed an alliance to act together in the upcoming Üsküdar deputy mayor election. (corroborated by 10 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-09: AKP regains control of Istanbul’s Üsküdar Municipality The AKP has regained control of Istanbul’s Üsküdar Municipality after a contested vote, an event the European Parliament’s rapporteur described as a ‘blatant power grab’ following the arrest of the CHP mayor. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/akp-regains-control-of-istanbuls-skdar-municipality ### 2026-09-08: AK Party monitors SDG integration and gains municipal council majorities AK Party monitors SDG integration while gaining municipal council majorities in Bahçelievler. Meanwhile, YENİ Parti leader Özgür Özel calls for early local elections and prepares for a November congress. 28 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gkhan-gnaydn-announces-objection-to-skdar-election ### 2026-09-04: Üsküdar Municipality faces corruption probe and political crisis Üsküdar Municipality faces a crisis as Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested amid corruption probes. Following several arrests and political defections, the deputy mayor election has been postponed to September 2026 47 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/four-chp-council-members-join-ak-parti-in-skdar ### 2026-09-02: Üsküdar deputy mayor election rescheduled amid political shifts A rescheduled deputy mayor election in Üsküdar, Turkey, follows the arrest of Mayor Sinem Dedetaş and a court-ordered stay of the previous election results. Four CHP council members have joined the AK Party. 31 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/skdar-municipality-deputy-mayor-election-to-be-renewed ### 2026-08-26: Üsküdar Municipality deputy mayoral election suspended by court An Istanbul court has suspended the election results for the Üsküdar Deputy Mayor position, citing lack of transparency. The Istanbul Governorship will oversee municipal duties until a new election is held. 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/istanbul-court-halts-skdar-deputy-mayor-election-results ### 2026-08-25: Turkish municipal officials return to posts after legal suspensions Turkish municipal officials, including Balçova Mayor Onur Yiğit and two Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality managers, have returned to their duties following legal investigations and suspensions. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-municipal-officials-return-to-posts-after-legal-suspensions --- Cite as: Legal and political disputes in Turkish municipalities. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/legal-disputes-involving-turkish-municipal-officials