# List of mayors of Istanbul

This is a list of mayors of Istanbul, Turkey. This covers the Ottoman Empire to the modern day Republic of Turkey, during the Ottoman period and in the Republican era until c. 1930.

## Ottoman Empire
### During 1453–1858

In the Ottoman Empire, the duty of municipal government was the responsibility of the "Şehremini", a mayor-like leader, and local religious judges, "Kadı".
The first mayor of Istanbul after the conquest on May 29, 1453 was Hızırbey Çelebi. Until 1858, the capital of the Ottoman Empire was governed by a total of 422 kadis.

### Tanzimat period (1858–1876)

The idea to establish a municipality organization based on Western standards was first discussed in 1854 during the Crimean War when diplomats and journalists of allied nations came to Constantinople. Later, the parliament accepted a law for the establishment of the office of a mayor and a city council.
Salih Paşa received the first title of the new, modern Şehremini on July 13, 1858, and governed until November 4, 1858. During the Tanzimat period, 18 mayors took office.

#### First constitutional monarchy (1876–1908)

In 1876, as First constitutional monarchy was proclaimed, Kadri Paşa was the mayor of Constantinople. During this period 10 mayors governed Constantinople.

#### Second constitutional monarchy (1908–1923)

During the reign of Young Turks, between 1908–1918 and until the foundation of the republic, 23 mayors served in the capital.

## Republic of Turkey

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Notes |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Notes |
| Governors as mayors (1923–1960) |||||||||
| 1 | | Haydar Yuluğ (1878–1937) | 15 April 1923 | 8 June 1924 | 1 year, 54 days | | CHP | After the proclamation of the republic on October 29, 1923, the governor of the city was charged with the duties as deputy mayor. |
| 2 | | Emin Erkul (1881–1964) | 8 June 1924 | 12 October 1928 | 4 years, 126 days | | CHP | |
| 3 | | Mühittin Üstündağ (1884–1953) | 14 October 1928 | 4 December 1938 | 10 years, 53 days | | CHP | With the municipality act of April 3, 1930, the title of mayor was abandoned and the governor of Istanbul province took over the duties of the mayor. The two separate councils of the province and the municipality were unified. |
| 4 | | Lütfi Kırdar (1889–1961) | 8 December 1938 | 16 October 1949 | 10 years, 312 days | | CHP | |
| 5 | | Fahrettin Kerim Gökay (1900–1987) | 24 October 1949 | 26 October 1957 | 8 years, 2 days | | Independent | The two councils were reestablished on March 1, 1957 |
| – | | Kemal Hadımlı (1908–19??) | 12 July 1957 | 5 October 1957 | 85 days | | DP | Deputy Governor of Istanbul, appointed as acting mayor. |
| 6 | | Mümtaz Tarhan (1908–1970) | 29 November 1957 | 11 May 1958 | 163 days | | DP | |
| 7 | | Ethem Yetkiner (1912–1973) | 14 May 1958 | 24 December 1958 | 224 days | | DP | |
| 8 | | Kemal Aygün (1914–1979) | 25 December 1958 | 27 May 1960 | 1 year, 154 days | | DP | |
| Mayors during the military rule (1960–1963) |||||||||
| 9 | | Refik Tulga (1907–1981) | 27 May 1960 | 14 June 1960 | 18 days | | Military | |
| 10 | | Şefik Erensü (1912–1989) | 14 June 1960 | 24 September 1960 | 102 days | | Military | |
| (9) | | Refik Tulga (1907–1981) | 24 September 1960 | 26 February 1962 | 1 year, 155 days | | Military | |
| 11 | | Turan Ertuğ | 27 February 1962 | 16 March 1962 | 17 days | | Military | (Deputy) |
| 12 | | Kamuran Görgün | 18 March 1962 | 30 January 1963 | 318 days | | Military | |
| – | | Kadri İlkay | 30 January 1963 | 31 January 1963 | 1 day | | Military | (Deputy) |
| – | | Niyazi Akı (1913–1992) | 31 January 1963 | 28 February 1963 | 28 days | | Military | (Deputy) |
| 13 | | Necdet Uğur (1923–2004) | 28 February 1963 | 9 December 1963 | 284 days | | Military | |
| Elected mayors of Istanbul Municipality (1963–1980) |||||||||
| 14 | | Haşim İşcan (1898–1968) | 10 December 1963 | 11 March 1968 | 4 years, 92 days | | CHP | The municipality act of July 27, 1963, enabled the election of the mayor. The polls held on November 17, 1963, were the first regional elections to elect the mayor. |
| – | | Faruk Ilgaz (1922–2014) | 12 March 1968 | 6 June 1968 | 86 days | | AP | (Deputy) |
| 15 | | Fahri Atabey (1913–1994) | 8 June 1968 | 9 December 1973 | 5 years, 184 days | | AP | |
| 16 | | Ahmet İsvan (1923–2017) | 14 December 1973 | 11 December 1977 | 3 years, 362 days | | CHP |
| 17 | | Aytekin Kotil (1934–1992) | 14 December 1977 | 12 September 1980 | 2 years, 273 days | | CHP | |
| Mayors during the military rule (1980–1984) |||||||||
| 18 | | İsmail Hakki Akansel (1924–2016) | 12 September 1980 | 30 August 1981 | 352 days | | Military | |
| 19 | | Ecmel Kutay (1927–1998) | 30 August 1981 | 24 March 1982 | 206 days | | Military | |
| 20 | | Abdullah Tırtıl (1923–1996) | 24 March 1982 | 26 March 1984 | 2 years, 2 days | | Military | |
| Elected mayors of Istanbul Municipality (1984–present) |||||||||
| 21 | | Bedrettin Dalan (born 1941) | 26 March 1984 | 28 March 1989 | 5 years, 2 days | | ANAP | On March 8, 1984, the metropolitan municipality act was put into force and on March 23 the municipality of Greater Istanbul was established. |
| 22 | | Nurettin Sözen (born 1937) | 28 March 1989 | 27 March 1994 | 4 years, 364 days | | SHP | |
| 23 | | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 1954) | 27 March 1994 | 6 November 1998 | 4 years, 224 days | | RP/FP | Elected in the 1994 election. Sacked after being sentenced to 10 months in jail. |
| 24 | | Ali Müfit Gürtuna (born 1952) | 12 November 1998 | 28 March 2004 | 5 years, 137 days | | FP (until 2001) | Elected by the city council. |
| 24 | | Ali Müfit Gürtuna (born 1952) | 12 November 1998 | 28 March 2004 | 5 years, 137 days | | Independent (from 2001) | Elected by the city council. |
| 25 | | Kadir Topbaş (1945–2021) | 28 March 2004 | 22 September 2017 | 13 years, 179 days | | AKP | Re-elected twice (in 2009 and 2014). Resigned at the request of AKP and incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. |
| 26 | | Mevlüt Uysal (born 1966) | 22 September 2017 | 17 April 2019 | 1 year, 207 days | | AKP | Elected by the city council. |
| 27 | | Ekrem İmamoğlu (born 1970) | 17 April 2019 | 6 May 2019 | 19 days | | CHP | Elected in the March 2019 election. Election annulled by the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) on 6 May 2019. |
| – | | Ali Yerlikaya (born 1968) Acting | 7 May 2019 | 27 June 2019 | 51 days | | Independent | Governor of Istanbul, appointed as acting mayor. |
| (27) | | Ekrem İmamoğlu (born 1970) | 27 June 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 249 days | | CHP | Re-elected in the June 2019 re-run election and 2024 Turkish local elections. |