ISTANBUL, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Istanbul City Council elected Nuri Aslan from the opposition party as acting mayor on Wednesday, following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Istanbul Municipality announced.
Aslan, the candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), led the voting in the first two rounds but failed to secure the required majority.
In the third round, where a simple majority was needed, Aslan was elected with 177 votes. His rival, Zeynel Abidin Okul from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), received 125 votes.
Aslan had previously been appointed as the first deputy mayor by the Istanbul Municipal Council on April 15, 2024.
Imamoglu was detained on March 19, and then formally arrested and suspended from office on corruption charges on Sunday. Since then, Imamoglu, who denies the accusations, has been held at Marmara Prison in Istanbul's Silivri district.
Imamoglu, from the CHP, won a second term as Istanbul mayor in March 2024, defeating the AKP candidate, Murat Kurum. ■
