06.03.2026 19:05
After the arrest and suspension of Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, all eyes were on the vice-presidency election to be held in the municipal council. After three rounds of voting, the Municipal Council elected the CHP candidate Mehmet Tuna Özcan as the Vice Mayor of Bolu with 19 votes.
After the arrest of Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, a new development occurred in the municipal administration. Following the decision to suspend him from duty, the Bolu Municipal Council convened and, as a result of the voting, elected the CHP candidate Mehmet Tuna Özcan as the Deputy Mayor of Bolu.
TANJU ÖZCAN ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF EXTORTION
On February 28, Tanju Özcan and 12 others from Bolu Municipality were detained by the Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams as part of an investigation into "extortion by coercion."
As part of the investigation, Tanju Özcan and Bolu Deputy Mayor Süleyman Can were arrested by the court they were brought before. A house arrest decision was issued for Bolsev Board Member Ali Sarıyıldız for 4 months. The other 10 individuals were released under judicial control conditions.
Following the arrest decision, the Ministry of Interior suspended Tanju Özcan from his position.
VOTING LASTED 3 ROUNDS
After the suspension decision, an election was held in the municipal council for the Bolu Mayorship. The CHP candidate was Mehmet Tuna Özcan, while the Justice and Development Party nominated Hüseyin Nadi Okur.
At the end of the three-round voting, Mehmet Tuna Özcan was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Bolu with 19 votes, while Hüseyin Nadi Okur received 10 votes.
"WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE TRUST"
After the election, Mehmet Tuna Özcan made a brief statement, saying that they would continue to manage the municipality strongly.
Özcan stated, "I have been elected as the Deputy Mayor. I thank everyone who voted and those who did not. We will continue to take care of our President Tanju Özcan's trust as the representative of Bolu Municipality. We will continue to work strongly."