11.06.2025 11:11
The election for the deputy mayor was held to replace Hakan Bahçetepe, the mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa who was removed from office. In the election, which lasted for 3 rounds, the candidate from the AK Party, Eray Karadeniz, was elected as the deputy mayor.
The CHP's Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgül, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, and Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, who were detained in the fifth wave of investigations focused on the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), have been dismissed from their positions.
3 NAMES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED
In a statement from the Ministry, it was noted that Istanbul Avcılar District Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Büyükçekmece District Mayor Hasan Akgün, and Gaziosmanpaşa District Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe have been temporarily removed from their duties in accordance with Article 127 of the Constitution and Article 47 of the Municipal Law.
MUNICIPALITY PASSED TO THE AK PARTY
Following the decision of the Ministry of Interior, a vice president election was held in the municipalities. In Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality, where the People's Alliance holds the majority in the municipal council, the AK Party's candidate for vice president, Eray Karadeniz, and the CHP's candidate, Murat Topaloğlu, competed. In the election, which lasted for 3 rounds, the AK Party's candidate Eray Karadeniz was elected as vice president. In the final round, Eray Karadeniz received 21 votes while Murat Topaloğlu received 16 votes.
Thus, the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality, which was under CHP administration, has passed to AK Party management.
WHO IS ERAY KARADENİZ?
Born in Istanbul in 1986, Eray Karadeniz graduated from the Faculty of Law at Istanbul Commerce University.
Karadeniz began his political career in the youth branches, serving as the President of the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality Youth Assembly and a member of the IMM Youth Assembly between 2007-2009. From 2009 to 2018, he served as the President of the AK Party Gaziosmanpaşa Youth Branch. In the 2019 local elections, he took on the role of political advisor to Özgül Özkan Yavuz, the AK Party's candidate for Kadıköy Mayor. In the 2023 elections, he served as the Program Coordinator of the Gaziosmanpaşa Election Coordination Center.
Karadeniz, who also played an active role in youth projects supported by the European Union, participated as a legal representative and group leader in the projects "Is Anyone Listening to Me?" (2012) and "Take Precautions, Get Informed, Survive" (2013-2014).