13.10.2026 16:55
Following the arrest and removal from office of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, CHP candidate Gülşah Yıldırım Genç won the deputy mayoral election. In the session held closed to the press, Genç, who received 47 votes in the first two rounds, was elected deputy mayor in the third round with 47 votes as well. Members of the People's Alliance cast blank votes in the election.
Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Council convened extraordinarily on October 13 to elect a deputy mayor to serve in place of the arrested Vahap Seçer. After a vote that lasted three rounds, CHP’s candidate Gülşah Yıldırım Genç was elected deputy mayor.
VOTING WAS HELD CLOSED TO THE PRESS
At the session, which began with a roll call and a moment of silence, council members decided that the vote would be held in a closed session on the grounds of “sensitivity regarding election security.” Thereupon, the hall was closed to the press and spectators.
CHP Spokesperson Müslüm Sarı announced that their party’s candidate for deputy mayor was Gülşah Yıldırım Genç.
ELECTED IN THE THIRD ROUND
In the first round, Genç received 47 votes, while Hamit Mert Avcı received 1 vote. In the round in which there were 24 blank and 1 invalid votes, no result was obtained. In the second round, Genç again received 47 votes, while there were 24 blank and 2 invalid votes.
In the third round, Genç, who again received 47 votes, was elected Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor. It was learned that the 24 members of the People’s Alliance cast blank votes in the ballots.
DEPUTY MAYORS ALSO DETERMINED IN YENİŞEHİR AND MEZİTLİ
Seçer had been arrested within the scope of a corruption investigation conducted by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Within the scope of the same investigation, a deputy mayor election was held on October 12 to replace Yenişehir Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit and Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer, who were arrested on October 1.
In Yenişehir, Çağdaş Dutlu from the New Party was elected deputy mayor in the fourth round with 19 votes. In Mezitli, Turgut Selağzı from the CHP was brought to the deputy mayorship in the fourth round with 16 votes.