20.03.2025 09:10
As part of the corruption and terrorism investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, 87 people, including the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been detained. If İmamoğlu is arrested, it is expected that a trustee will be appointed to the municipality, with the name of Istanbul Governor Davut Gül being anticipated for this position.
The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was taken into custody yesterday morning as part of a terrorism and corruption investigation.
Following İmamoğlu's detention, as the question "Will a trustee be appointed to Istanbul?" was being asked, Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü made a claim that will be widely discussed. In his article, Öztürk emphasized that the option of appointing a trustee is on the table and pointed to a name that could be appointed in place of İmamoğlu.
"A TRUSTEE IS BEING APPOINTED IN PLACE OF THE SUSPENDED MAYOR"
Highlighting one of the reasons for İmamoğlu's detention, 'City Consensus', Öztürk stated, "The appointment of a trustee in place of İmamoğlu can only be made based on the allegation of 'terrorist connections'. After the coup attempt, a change was made to the Municipal Law by Presidential Decree, according to which a trustee is appointed in place of a mayor who is determined to have connections to terrorism or who has been suspended as part of an investigation in this regard," he said.
POINTED TO DAVUT GÜL WITHOUT NAMING
Regarding the question "Who will be appointed as a trustee in place of İmamoğlu?", Öztürk stated, "In metropolitan and provincial municipalities, the provincial governor is appointed as a trustee, while in districts, the district governor or deputy governor is assigned," pointing to Istanbul Governor Davut Gül without naming him.
Öztürk, who claimed that a trustee could be appointed to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality by the Ministry of Interior on the same day if İmamoğlu is arrested, also referred to the relevant article of the Municipal Law; "In cases where the mayor is suspended/arrested due to crimes of aiding and abetting terrorism/terrorist organizations or is banned from public services, the Minister of Interior in metropolitan and provincial municipalities, and the governor in other municipalities, shall appoint a mayor or deputy mayor."