The local political landscape of Istanbul’s Adalar (Princes’ Islands) district reached a significant turning point on Wednesday as the municipal council convened to elect a new acting mayor. In a session marked by political maneuvering, a lack of initial quorum, and physical and verbal tensions between representatives, Kemal Türkyılmaz, the candidate put forward by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), emerged as the victor. The election, which stretched across four rounds of voting, follows a period of administrative instability for the island district, which has seen its leadership change hands multiple times in recent months due to legal investigations and health-related resignations.
The necessity for this election arose from a complex series of events involving the district’s top leadership. The Adalar Municipal Council was forced to reorganize following the resignation of the previous acting mayor, Medine Pamuk, who had held the position for only a brief period. The political vacuum created by her departure set the stage for a high-stakes showdown between the AK Party and the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the two dominant political forces in the region.
The Path to the Election: Arrests and Resignations
To understand the weight of Wednesday’s election, one must look back at the administrative crisis that began in early summer. The chain of events was set in motion on June 23, when the elected Mayor of Adalar, Ali Ercan Akpolat, was arrested as part of a sweeping investigation conducted by the Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The allegations against Akpolat were severe, involving charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes" and "accepting bribes." The investigation sent shockwaves through the local community and led to immediate intervention by the Ministry of the Interior.
Following the standard legal protocol for such cases, the Ministry of the Interior officially suspended Akpolat from his duties, citing the ongoing criminal proceedings. This necessitated the first round of interim leadership changes. On June 27, the Adalar Municipal Council met to select an acting mayor to manage the district’s affairs during the mayor’s absence. During that session, Medine Pamuk was chosen to lead the municipality.
However, Pamuk’s tenure was short-lived. On September 14, she officially submitted her resignation, citing unforeseen health problems as the primary reason for her inability to continue in the role. Her sudden departure left the Adalar Municipality without an acting head, prompting the Istanbul Governor’s Office to intervene. The Governor’s Office subsequently issued a formal notice announcing that a new election to determine the acting mayor would be held on September 21 at 9:00 AM.
The Stalled Session of September 21
The first attempt to resolve the leadership crisis occurred on Monday, September 21. However, the scheduled session was immediately hampered by political friction. Members of the council representing the CHP did not attend the meeting, a move that prevented the council from reaching the "salt çoğunluk" or absolute majority required by municipal law to proceed with a valid vote.
Because the necessary quorum could not be established, the election was officially postponed to Wednesday, September 23, with a new start time of 10:00 AM. This delay only heightened the stakes for both parties. The AK Party consolidated its support behind Kemal Türkyılmaz, while the CHP announced Aytül Ekşiyan as their candidate, setting the stage for a direct confrontation in the council chamber.
A Day of Tension: The September 23 Election
When the council finally met on Wednesday morning, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation and partisan division. The election process followed the structured multi-round format mandated by Turkish municipal regulations, which require specific thresholds of support in each successive round if a clear winner does not emerge early on.
In the first round of voting, nine council members cast their ballots. The results reflected the tight divide within the local government: Kemal Türkyılmaz received five votes, while Aytül Ekşiyan received four. Under the current rules, this was insufficient to secure the position in the first round, as a two-thirds majority is typically required in the initial stages of such an appointment. Consequently, the council proceeded to a second round of voting.
It was during the transition to the second round that the political friction between the AK Party and CHP members escalated into a visible confrontation. Witnesses reported a significant rise in tension within the chamber, with heated exchanges occurring between the two groups of council members. The situation became so volatile that the proceedings had to be temporarily halted, and the municipal council chamber was cleared of spectators and non-essential personnel to restore order.
The Second Round and Continued Deadlock
Once the session resumed under tighter control, the second round of voting was held. The results mirrored the first round but introduced a new element of uncertainty. Kemal Türkyılmaz again secured five votes, and Aytül Ekşiyan secured four. However, one ballot was declared invalid, further complicating the math for the candidates and ensuring that the election would move into a third round.
The repeated 5-4 split highlighted the rigid party lines within the Adalar Council. For the AK Party, the goal was to maintain their narrow lead through the subsequent rounds, where the threshold for victory becomes lower. For the CHP, the challenge was to find a way to break the AK Party’s five-vote bloc or to force a different procedural outcome.
Final Rounds and the Election of Kemal Türkyılmaz
As the election moved into the third round, the dynamics shifted significantly. In this round, Kemal Türkyılmaz maintained his five votes. In a surprising turn that signaled a potential breakdown in the opposition’s strategy or a symbolic protest, the CHP candidate received zero votes. Despite Türkyılmaz holding the majority of the votes cast in this round, the specific legal requirements for the third round were not met in a way that finalized the process immediately, leading to a fourth and final round of voting.
In the fourth round, the rules allow for a simple majority to determine the winner among the remaining candidates. Kemal Türkyılmaz once again received five votes. With this result, the legal requirements were finally satisfied, and Türkyılmaz was officially declared the new Acting Mayor of Adalar.
Implications for Adalar’s Future
The election of Kemal Türkyılmaz marks a significant shift in the administrative control of the Princes’ Islands. While the district has historically seen intense competition between the major parties, the transition of the acting mayoralty to an AK Party representative—following the suspension of a CHP mayor and the resignation of a previous acting mayor—represents a pivotal moment in the current local government term.
Türkyılmaz takes the helm of a district that is unique within Istanbul. The Adalar district, comprising Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, Kınalıada, and several smaller islands, faces distinct logistical and environmental challenges, including seasonal tourism surges, conservation requirements, and the management of island-specific transportation systems. The new acting mayor will be expected to address these local issues while navigating the legal and political complexities that have shadowed the municipality since June.
The legal case involving Ali Ercan Akpolat remains ongoing. Until that case is resolved, or until the next scheduled local elections, the acting mayor will hold the executive powers of the municipality. The tension seen during the council session suggests that the road ahead for the Adalar administration will be characterized by close scrutiny from both the public and the political opposition.
As the session concluded, the newly elected acting mayor expressed his intention to serve the residents of the islands, though the deep divisions within the council remain apparent. The events of the past week, from the lack of quorum on Monday to the cleared council chamber on Wednesday, underscore the intense political climate currently defining the governance of one of Istanbul’s most iconic districts.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior are expected to continue monitoring the situation in Adalar closely to ensure that municipal services are maintained and that the legal requirements of the local government are upheld during this transition period. For now, the election of Kemal Türkyılmaz provides a formal conclusion to the immediate leadership vacancy, but the broader political and legal narratives surrounding the Adalar Municipality are far from over.
