Esenyurt mayor arrested, trustee appointed in his place

ISTANBUL

Ahmet Özer, who was elected mayor of Esenyurt by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in the 31 March elections arrested and İstanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy appointed as trustee in his place.

The chief public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul announced Esenyurt Municipality mayor Ahmet Özer’s detention on Oct. 30, alleging ties between the mayor and high-ranking PKK members.

In the wake of Özer's arrest, the Interior Ministry announced that Aksoy had been appointed as the trustee to temporarily replace the ousted mayor.

PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

Following the arrest, the Interior Ministry announced that Istanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy had been appointed as trustee, with Özer temporarily suspended from his role.

The CHP responded by canceling a planned weekend gathering in the southern city of Antalya and instead convening party leaders in Istanbul to address the situation.

Gökhan Günaydın, a parliamentary leader of the party, urged citizens to rally at the Esenyurt Municipality building on Oct. 31 to "protect the will of Esenyurt, Istanbul, and Türkiye.”

Crowds of CHP executives and supporters gathered outside the municipality in protest of both the chief prosecutor’s decision and the trustee appointment.

The prosecutor’s office cited phone records, surveillance, and financial data as evidence of Özer’s “intense and sustained organic ties” with the PKK.

A statement also noted that Özer had talked multiple times over the past decade with Remzi Kartal, co-chair of the PKK-linked organization KONGRA-GEL, and had reportedly been involved in discussions on the PKK's "democratic autonomy project."

Officials conducted searches at Özer’s home and the city hall, with documents reportedly linking him to the PKK seized during the operation.

Meanwhile, the CHP is expected to plan a follow-up meeting of its 60-member leadership team in Istanbul on Nov. 3, signaling continued opposition to the trustee appointment.

The exchange comes amid ongoing debates over a proposal by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who suggested the release of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan if the former ringleader would convince the organization to lay down arms.

His suggestion was endorsed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a parliamentary meeting on Oct. 30.