The Muğla Governor’s Office has put Mehmet Murat Yazar, the first deputy chair of Milas Municipal Council, in temporary charge of the municipality, after the Interior Ministry suspended Mayor Fevzi Topuz. The council will meet on Tuesday, 3 November, to elect an acting mayor, according to the governor’s office, as reported by local and national outlets including Muğla Gazetesi, CNN Türk and the DHA news agency.
Council vote on 3 November
The governor’s office said Yazar had been assigned as acting mayor under Article 45, paragraphs 5 and 6, of Municipal Law No. 5393. The same article sets out how a municipal council chooses a replacement when a mayor is removed from office.
The council meeting has been approved for 14:00 on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, in the Milas Municipality council chamber, where members will vote for an acting mayor. Until then, Yazar runs the municipality on an interim basis. The sources did not give the party make-up of the council.
Why the mayor was suspended
The Interior Ministry suspended Topuz, as we reported on Monday. According to the governor’s office, the suspension was approved on 26 October, after a Muğla criminal judgeship of peace ordered Topuz held in custody pending trial on 23 October.
The case is being run by the Muğla Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and concerns tender documents and work-experience certificates. Prosecutors allege that documents submitted by companies were forged and that certificates were issued on that basis, DHA and CNN Türk reported. Investigators put the value of work claimed but allegedly not carried out at about 2.58 billion lira, and say eight companies used the certificates to take part in 25 tenders worth about 3.71 billion lira.
Police detained 35 people in raids across 13 provinces on 20 October. Fifteen were released and 20 were referred to court, which ordered 18 of them, including Topuz, held pending trial and placed two under house arrest. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Related coverage
Earlier this month we reported on the completion of the Milas-Ören sewer network. For the wider area, see our guide to living in Bodrum.
Sources
- Muğla Valiliği Görevlendirdi: Milas’ta Başkan Vekili Mehmet Murat Yazar Oldu (Muğla Gazetesi)
- Milas Belediyesi’ne vekalet, tutuklanan Topuz’un yerine Mehmet Murat Yazar’a verildi (Haberler.com / DHA)
- Milas Belediyesi’nde gözler 3 Kasım’da! Başkan vekili seçilecek (CNN Türk)
- Mehmet Murat Yazar geçici Milas Belediyesi başkan vekili olarak atandı (Gündem Fethiye)
Photo: Gargarapalvin / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
