Zeydan Karalar Elected Deputy President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye
At the General Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality Zeydan Karalar received the highest number of votes and was elected Deputy President of the Union.
In accordance with Article 22 of Law No. 5355 on Local Government Associations and Article 45 of Law No. 5393 on Municipalities, and upon the call of the Governorship of Ankara, the General Assembly of the Union convened in Ankara with the agenda of electing a Deputy President.
Zeydan Karalar, Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, and Ahmet Metin Genç, Mayor of Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality, were nominated for the position.
The election was completed in three rounds among the 864 members of the Assembly:
- In the first round, Karalar received 476 votes, and Genç received 239 votes.
- As neither candidate reached the required two-thirds majority of 576 votes, the election proceeded to a second round, where Karalar received 458 votes and Genç 208.
- In the third and final round, Karalar was elected Deputy President with 463 votes. Genç received 179 votes.
“The will of the people cannot be disregarded”
Following the announcement of the results, Karalar expressed his gratitude: "I sincerely thank everyone who deemed me worthy of this position. My thanks, love, and respect to our Chairman Özgür Özel and to Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from whom I accepted this responsibility with a heavy heart."
Stressing the challenges Turkey is currently facing, Karalar said: "Our Republic is going through a troubled time in terms of law, democracy, and justice. We are witnessing the removal of mayors elected by the people across the country. We absolutely do not accept this. The will of the people cannot be disregarded. Those who once came into politics by championing the national will are now ignoring it. Two days ago, I visited Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu along with Mayor Vahap Seçer. We also spoke with other mayors. Believe me, there’s nothing substantial in the questions being asked. I believe all our mayors, from east to west, are in the same situation."
“We will defend democracy together”
Highlighting the importance of public will and press freedom, Karalar continued: "We are now in a time when dissatisfaction is growing, and the people are calling out for a new leader, a new team, for real change. Silencing those who embody that change in the eyes of the public is all this is. The same applies to the media. After I left Silivri Prison, I told the press that if a government can no longer satisfy the people and starts hearing growing dissent, it resorts to perception management. Their biggest enemies become politicians who speak the truth—and the press that delivers the truth. We see journalists being punished just for reporting the news—some with 10-day bans, others with 5-day bans. We do not and will not accept this. Together, we will continue to fight for the rule of law and democracy."
“Our rightful share has been given to others for years”
Karalar also spoke about the distribution of support to municipalities: "The same political power has been running the UMT for 23 years. I reviewed their 10-year record. I asked the UMT Secretary General what have they distributed, and how? From 2015 to 2025, they distributed 2,000 vehicles-1,700 of which went to municipalities in the People's Alliance. Don't we, my friends here, pay dues too? Our rightful share has been given to others for years. But since Ekrem İmamoğlu became UMT President, around 55% of the grants have gone to CHP-run municipalities, and 45% to others. That is fairness. That is how it should be."
Touching on his philosophy of governance, Karalar said: "I want to address our nation, when we come to power, just as our mayors now serve fairly, without discriminating between those who voted for them and those who didn’t, the CHP will do the same across Türkiye. We will manage funds well and treat everyone equally. That will be our approach to governance."
“Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation”
Recalling global and regional crises, Karalar said: "Despite the tragedies from Gaza to Syria, from Bosnia to Khojaly, our country continues to preserve a spirit of brotherhood. This has only been possible thanks to the Republic left to us by our great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We must create a climate where everyone, from east to west, can proudly say 'I am a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye.' The phrase ‘The nation decides’ is being claimed by others today-but in fact, it belongs to Atatürk, who said, ‘Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.’ We say the same-and we will never give it up."
Karalar concluded his speech by saying: "Together, we will build a country where everyone, from east to west, can proudly say ‘I am a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye.’ We will uphold the principle that sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation, to the very end."