The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council convened to elect a deputy mayor following the suspension of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his arrest as part of a corruption investigation, Anadolu reported.

In a meeting held at the Saraccan municipality building and chaired by Assembly Second Deputy Speaker Gokhan Gümüşdağ, deputy Nuri Aslan of the opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) and deputy Zeynel Abidin Okul, who is also deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) faction, were nominated as candidates for the deputy post.

A total of 302 people voted in the third round. CHP candidate Aslan received 177 votes, while AKP candidate Okul received 125 votes.

Thanks to this result, Nuri Aslan became the deputy mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Opposition rallies in support of Imamoglu have been held throughout Turkey since March 19, when he was detained on charges of corruption and links to terrorists.