İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, from ruling AKP party on Friday announced that he was stepping down from his post, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seeks to refresh the ruling party ahead of local and national polls in 2019.
He had been mayor of Turkey's financial capital and largest city since 2004.
Speaking at a press conference in İstanbul, Topbaş said while he was stepping down from his mayoral post, he would not cut ties with the AKP party. "I have resigned from my duty as mayor as of today. But I, under no circumstance, will cut ties with my political party. I am an active member of my party," he said.
Topbaş had been under pressure after the 'No' vote came out ahead in İstanbul in the key April referendum on expanding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's powers. Historically, the mayoralty of İstanbul has offered an important route to national power. The 'Yes' vote "won" the referendum with 51.5 percent but the fraudulent victory created jitters in the ruling AKP party. In his recent speeches, Erdoğan has often called for a renewal of AKP's cadres and making the party younger and more dynamic. Erdoğan has also noted that parts of the party have suffered from a "metal fatigue".
The resignation follows disputes in the municipality administration, after Topbaş handed back five previously agreed zoning amendments on the grounds that they would damage the municipal council. The amendments were then approved once again without changes with the votes of AKP council members.
Topbaş said he was "not offended" by the recent dispute and had always been committed to the party, saying he welcomed criticism but would not forget disrespect fullness against him.
"We tried not to make mistakes. Mistakes and betrayal should not be confused. Those who betray are never forgiven. But I am proud," he said.
On June 17, the son-in-law of Topbaş, Ömer Faruk Kavurmacı, was detained again by police on suspicion of business links to U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. The network of Gülen, AKP government's former ally, was one of the masterminds of last year's coup attempt.
Kavurmacı had been detained in October but was released in May on health grounds as he suffers from epilepsy. This had sparked angry claims he had benefited from nepotistic and preferential treatment. Kavurmacı is due to go on trial on October 23.
