13.03.2026 08:32
Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel was detained along with 5 others as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding allegations of 'bribery' and 'extortion' against the municipality.
Bülent Tezcan, the General Coordinator of the Presidential Candidate Office of the CHP, reported that the Mayor of Kuşadası, Ömer Günel, has been detained.
Tezcan stated in a statement made on his social media account: "Another one has been added to the setup operations. Our Mayor of Kuşadası, Ömer Günel, has been detained this morning. Those who cannot defeat us at the ballot box are trying to silence us with setup files, interfering with the will of the people. The will of Kuşadası cannot be detained. Our Mayor Ömer Günel must be released immediately."
WHO IS ÖMER GÜNEL?
Ömer Günel, registered in the population of Elmalı district of Antalya, was born in 1971 in Berlin, Germany. He completed his primary and secondary education in Antalya. After moving to Kuşadası in 1991, he worked in various fields to continue his university education. He completed his undergraduate degree at Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Law and his master's degree in Economic Law at Istanbul Bilgi University. He received training in European Union Specialization at Istanbul Commerce University Faculty of Law. In 1997, he established Günel Law Partnership and practiced law for nearly 20 years.
Ömer Günel was a candidate for the Municipal Council Member in the 2004 local elections and served as a member of the CHP Kuşadası District Board between 2008-2009. He was elected to the Kuşadası Municipal Council as the first candidate from the CHP Kuşadası Municipal Council membership list in the 2009 local elections.
In the local elections on March 31, 2019, he was elected Mayor of Kuşadası with approximately 58% of the votes. Ömer Günel, who was nominated as the CHP's candidate for Mayor of Kuşadası in the 2024 Local Elections, became the first mayor to be nominated for the second consecutive time from the same party in Kuşadası. He continues to serve Kuşadası by being re-elected as mayor in the 2024 Local Elections.
He continues to serve as a member of the Council in the Aegean Coastal Municipalities Union and as a member of the Assembly in the Energy Cities Union. Günel, who is a founding member of the Union of Natural Cities, was elected as the president of the union in 2024. He is also a member of the Contemporary Jurists Association. He has taken active roles in the establishment and management of many associations in Kuşadası, such as the Island Sports Club Association, Kuşadası Young Businessmen's Association, Kuşadası Photography and Cinema Art Association, and Kuşadası Motorcycle and Motor Sports Association.