The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) filed two complaints on Monday challenging the result of the election for a new deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, as well as the election process itself.
The district, a former AK Party stronghold, was lost to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the 2024 local elections. Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested in July on corruption charges, triggering an election to choose an acting mayor. CHP candidate Sibel Tan Çetinkaya won the election, receiving 22 votes from municipal assembly members in the fourth round on Aug. 5. The AK Party, however, alleged irregularities in the voting process.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse where they filed their complaints, AK Party Üsküdar District Chair Taha Sarıcaoğlu said they would also file a lawsuit at the administrative court seeking the annulment of the election and the municipal assembly’s decision, as well as a rerun of the election.
Sarıcaoğlu said the election should be regarded not only as a reflection of the political groups represented in the assembly but also of the will of the people of Üsküdar as expressed at the ballot box.
He said protecting the will of assembly members was a fundamental requirement of democracy, but alleged that incidents during the election process had cast a shadow over the free expression of that will. He said practices that raised questions about election security and the principle of a secret ballot had taken place in full public view.
