CHP members of Üsküdar Municipal Council, Ahmet Başbaydar, Ayhan Aydın, Hüseyin Kazan and Tahsin Usta, resigned from CHP and joined the AK Party. A program was organized at the AK Party Üsküdar District Headquarters due to the participation of 4 council members in the AK Party. AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir, AK Party Üsküdar District Chairman Taha Sarıcaoğlu, MPs, municipal council members and party members attended the program.
'WE HAVE NOT BEEN UNDER ANY PRESSURE, THREATS OR NEGOTIATION'
Tahsin Usta, who resigned from CHP and joined the AK Party, made a statement on behalf of 4 council members and said that their decisions were aimed at serving Üsküdar more. Stating that the decision they made was not easy, Usta said, "Four of our council members resigned from the Republican People's Party and joined the AK Party in order to provide more service to the people of Üsküdar upon the need we saw. Congratulations. We know that we are going through a difficult period. We also know that the decision we have made is a difficult decision."
Emphasizing that there was no pressure or bargaining regarding the decision process, Usta said, "While making this decision, I would especially like to say that, together with our fellow council members, we were not under any pressure, we were not under any threat, and we did not engage in any bargaining. Our goal is to serve Üsküdar more, and we think we can achieve this under this roof. Therefore, I thank you for accepting us."
ÖZDEMİR: WE ARE EXCITED AND HAPPY ON BEHALF OF ÜSKÜDAR
AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir also expressed his satisfaction with the participation of 4 council members and said, "We are excited and happy on behalf of Üsküdar." Stating that the newly joined council members have significant experience in different fields, Özdemir said, "We have just met our esteemed council members in the office of our district president. They are people who have successfully spent a long period of their lives in many different fields, have established ties with the society and have a strong past. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to serve our district together after the election in the council."
Pointing out the importance of Üsküdar for Istanbul, Özdemir described the district as 'the summary of a small Istanbul'. Özdemir said, "Üsküdar is one of the oldest and most valuable districts of Istanbul. It is our district that gathers all the sociology of Istanbul together, embodies all its values and is actually the summary of a small Istanbul. Hopefully, with these participations in the new period, we will strive and work with our municipal council and municipal administration even more strongly and respond to the expectations of our Üsküdar and the people of Üsküdar."
'WE WILL WORK WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT DREAMS THE FUTURE OF ÜSKÜDAR'
Touching on his experience as a local administrator, Özdemir said that municipalism requires presenting a vision for the future of the city. Özdemir said:
"As a person who has been a mayor and has experience in local administration, I would like to express that if you do not think about how we can contribute to the future of children, young people and ladies in Üsküdar, you cannot be a good administrator there. If you cannot be a partner in the struggle for the children of Üsküdar to reach a very good point for the future of the country, you cannot actually govern that city."
Stating that they will act with common sense and consultation in Üsküdar, Özdemir stated that they aim to provide service to all streets and households by working together with headmen, non-governmental organizations, opinion leaders and local dynamics of the district.
'I THANK THEM FOR SHOWING THIS COURAGE'
Thanking the 4 council members for their decision, Özdemir said, "I would like to thank our esteemed council members wholeheartedly, in your presence, for showing this courage, for taking this decision for Üsküdar, for making this decision to touch the future of Üsküdar and the people of Üsküdar and to leave a mark."
Reminding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's words in the AK Party camp, Özdemir said, "Our President, at our party's camp held in Sapanca last time, said, 'We are each different pages of this book. We are the book of Turkey in a single volume, the book of the AK Party.' He said, "With the joint effort of all our friends who form the unity of our AK Party and reveal this richness with their differences, our AK Party will hopefully be prepared for an even stronger future together."
Özdemir stated that Turkey is located in a difficult geography and said that under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Turkey has reached a position that contributes to the peace within its borders as well as the unity and solidarity in its region.
ÜSKÜDAR MUNICIPAL COUNCIL WILL ELECT VICE MAYOR ON 5 SEPTEMBER
Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested on July 31 as part of the investigation carried out within the scope of charges of 'establishing an organization to commit a crime, bribery and extortion', and was subsequently suspended from her duty by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the elections held in Üsküdar Municipal Council on August 5, CHP Council Member Sibel Tan Çetinkaya was elected deputy mayor. After the parliamentary decision regarding the election of the deputy chairman was taken to court, the Istanbul 2nd Administrative Court suspended the execution of the parliamentary decision numbered 76 dated August 5, 2026. Istanbul Regional Administrative Court, which evaluated the objection to the decision, rejected the objection to the stay of execution decision on September 2. Following the judicial decision, Istanbul Governorship announced that the Üsküdar Municipal Council will meet at 10:00 on Saturday, September 5, 2026, to elect the new deputy mayor, in accordance with Article 45 of the Municipality Law No. 5393.
