Tahsin Usta reveals AK Party offered him a deputy mayor post after he left CHP

Üsküdar Municipal Council member Tahsin Usta said in a statement to İsmail Saymaz on September 15, 2026, that his move from CHP to the AK Party was not motivated by financial gain. Usta said the AK Party offered him a deputy mayor position and that he accepted it in order to serve Üsküdar.

Scraper SystemSeptember 15, 2026, 08:21 PM

Tahsin Usta reveals AK Party offered him a deputy mayor post after he left CHP

Üsküdar Municipal Council member Tahsin Usta explained why he left CHP for the AK Party. In a statement to İsmail Saymaz on September 15, 2026, Usta said his change of party was not motivated by financial gain and revealed that the AK Party had offered him a deputy mayor position.

Usta said the offer was intended to make use of the areas in which he had previously been successful. He said he accepted the deputy mayor position in order to serve the municipality and Üsküdar, arguing that his decision was not the result of pressure, threats or a political bargain.

The council arithmetic has changed

Alongside Tahsin Usta, Ahmet Başbaydar, Ayhan Aydın and Hüseyin Kazan also left CHP and joined the AK Party. The four council members’ switch of parties changed the distribution of seats on the Üsküdar Municipal Council and emerged as a development affecting the political balance involved in determining the municipal administration.

The joining ceremony was held at the AK Party’s Üsküdar District Presidency on September 3, 2026. Because the party switches took place before the election for Üsküdar’s acting mayor was rerun, the council’s new composition became one of the key issues in the acting-mayor process.

The post offer is at the center of the debate

Usta’s statement revived the debate over whether the party switches were driven by political considerations or expectations of office. While rejecting the allegation of financial gain, Usta also confirmed that he had been offered a deputy mayor position; as a result, his statement centered on whether the offer should be considered a material benefit.

Usta attributed his decision to switch parties to his desire to provide greater service to the people of Üsküdar. In earlier statements, he had also said that his decision was unrelated to pressure, threats or bargaining and was instead based on the aim of serving the public.

Political balance in local government

Üsküdar Municipality came under CHP administration after the March 31, 2024 local elections, and Sinem Dedetaş was referred to as the mayor during this period. The subsequent party switches by council members prompted debate over the effects of elected members changing parties while retaining their representative positions on voters’ will and the balance of local government.

There is no confirmed information on whether Usta has actually been appointed deputy mayor or on the scope of the offer. CHP has also not issued a direct and detailed official response to Usta’s latest statements in connection with the development.

Tahsin Usta reveals AK Party offered him a deputy mayor post after he left CHP