Istanbul court orders rerun of Üsküdar acting mayor vote
An Istanbul court has suspended the execution of a municipal council vote that elected Sibel Tan Çetinkaya as acting mayor of the Üsküdar district, citing concerns over the validity of ballots and the conduct of the Aug. 5 election.
The court ruled that the voting process had not been conducted in a healthy and secure manner, noting tensions between the candidates.
Five ballots were declared invalid in the round in which Çetinkaya was elected. The ruling, issued Aug. 25, can be appealed within seven days.
Çetinkaya, the candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was elected after Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was jailed. The election had sparked a dispute between the CHP and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), with both sides accusing the other of interfering with council members’ free will.
