Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas resigned from his post on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Topbas said while he was stepping down from his mayoral post, he would not cut ties with the ruling Justice and Development (AK) 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.
He also said he would not allow the opposition party to do politics over his resignation.