New Election Process in the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye After the Arrest of Vahap Seçer

A new election process will begin in the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) after the arrest of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and TBB President Vahap Seçer. With Seçer's arrest, a change of management in TBB has come to the fore for the third time recently, while the Union Assembly is expected to go to the polls again for the new deputy chairman.

THE PROCESS AT TBB STARTED WITH İMAMOĞLU

The recent change in TBB started with the election of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as the President of the Union in 2024.

After İmamoğlu was detained on March 19, 2025 and arrested on March 23, a vice president election was held in TBB. In the election held on March 28, 2025, Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar was elected as deputy mayor. According to the official records of TBB, Karalar received 476 votes in the first round, and the election ended in the third round.

Seçer CAME AFTER KARALAR

After Karalar was detained on July 5, 2025 and arrested on July 8, a vice president election was held once again in TBB.

In this process, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer became the Deputy Chairman of TBB. Seçer was later nominated for the presidency of the Union.

At the TBB Assembly meeting held on May 2, 2026, Seçer competed with AKP's Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fırat Görgel for the presidency. Seçer was elected as the President of TBB with 446 votes, while Görgel received 311 votes.

Seçer was also arrested

Seçer, who was detained during the operations carried out on October 1 within the scope of the investigation against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Yenişehir and Mezitli municipalities, was arrested on October 6.

In addition to Seçer, Yenişehir Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit and Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer were also arrested as part of the investigation carried out by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

With the arrest of Seçer, a change in the management of TBB came to the fore once again.

TBB WILL GO TO THE BALLOTS AGAIN

After Seçer's arrest, the TBB Assembly is expected to elect a new vice president.

Thus, the change of duty in the TBB administration, undertaken by Zeydan Karalar after İmamoğlu's arrest and by Vahap Seçer after Karalar's arrest, will be carried into the election process again with the arrest of Seçer.

In the official records of TBB, Seçer was listed as the President of the Union on May 2, 2026.