23.03.2025 13:50
Following the arrest of Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan as part of a terrorism investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), it is expected that a trustee will be appointed to the municipality. If a trustee is appointed, Şişli Municipality will transition to trustee management, leaving the CHP for the first time since 1999. In a handwritten message shared on his social media account, Şahan stated, "I have been arrested unjustly and unlawfully."
Resul Emrah Şahan, the Mayor of Şişli, was arrested as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the charge of "aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization" against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). A detention order was also issued for Mahir Polat, the Deputy Secretary General of IMM, and Mehmet Ali Çalışkan, the Director of the Reform Institute, within the same investigation. Efforts to locate three suspects who are fugitives in the "terror" investigation against IMM are ongoing.
APPOINTMENT OF A TRUSTEE IS EXPECTED
It is anticipated that a trustee will be appointed to the municipality in place of Şahan, who was arrested on "terror" charges. If a trustee is appointed to the Şişli Municipality, it will be the first time since 1999 that Şişli will transition from CHP to trustee management.
A HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE FROM SHAHAN
Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan shared a handwritten message on his official social media account, stating: "Dear Şişli residents. I have been unjustly and unlawfully arrested. My freedom has been restricted without any evidence against me, but I will continue to fight with the bond I have with you. In a very short time, we will meet again in freedom."
Şahan shared his statement with the note: "We will continue our struggle. First, we will vote at the polls, then we will stand up for our will in the Şişli Municipality. There is no fatigue, no collapse! Şişli is entrusted to you!"
"KNOW THAT OUR HEAD IS HELD HIGH"
In another post where Şahan noted, "Both Şişli Municipality and we are entrusted to our nation. We will not take a step back from our struggle," he included the following statements:
"Dear citizens, my family, friends, and colleagues, during the sudden home raid on Wednesday morning, the court has committed another great injustice by delivering a political blow to your will and has decided to try me under detention. With this decision, the judiciary has dared to push Turkey into a dark corridor. We promise that we will definitely lead this nation out of that darkness.
I know that you have stood by our municipality, me, and your will for days. The Şişli Municipality is entrusted to you! Together with all our citizens, we continue to stand up for the will of Şişli.
Know that our head is held high! We are aware of the responsibility on our shoulders. We have full confidence in our nation. We will meet with you in free days!"
"WE WILL APPEAL THE DECISION"
Resul Emrah Şahan's lawyer, Hüseyin Ersöz, stated, "A detention order has been issued for Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan and IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat. We will appeal the unjust and unlawful decision. The allegations, evidence, and decisions regarding detention and release were learned through the media in a 5-day process. While the detention request for IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu was rejected under the same file and with the same evidence, there can be no legal explanation for the detention of Emrah Şahan."