President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the funeral Friday of Üsküdar Deputy Mayor Dündar Ziya Gültekin, who died following a multivehicle crash on a highway in northwestern Türkiye.
Gültekin, 43, died after the vehicle he was traveling in was involved in a chain-reaction collision near the Düzce toll booths on the Anatolian Highway on Thursday while heading toward Ankara.
Harun Dursun, 33, an Üsküdar municipal official and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) district media representative, was injured in the crash. Reports indicated that Gültekin suffered a fatal heart attack during the incident.
A funeral prayer was held after Friday prayers at Istanbul's Grand Çamlıca Mosque, attended by Erdoğan, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Istanbul Deputy Mayor Nuri Arslan, senior AK Party officials, relatives and mourners.
Speaking before the funeral prayer, Erdoğan expressed condolences to Gültekin's family and praised his public service.
"He had taken on an important responsibility in Üsküdar in a very short time," Erdoğan said, noting that Gültekin had been traveling to Ankara on official business when the crash occurred.
Erdoğan also offered prayers for Gültekin and wished patience and strength to his family, including his three children.
The funeral prayer was led by Türkiye's head of religious affairs, Safi Arpaguş, before the coffin was taken to Nakkaştepe Cemetery for burial.
Gültekin, a municipal council member from the AK Party, was elected acting mayor of Üsküdar on Sept. 8, in a rerun vote following a court decision suspending the previous election. Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested on July 31 as part of an investigation into allegations of establishing a criminal organization, bribery and extortion. She was subsequently suspended from office by the Interior Ministry, prompting the special election.
Earlier Friday, a memorial ceremony was held outside Üsküdar Municipality, where colleagues, relatives and residents gathered to pay their respects.
The AK Party Istanbul provincial chair, Abdullah Özdemir, described Gültekin, a friend of more than 20 years, as a devoted father and public servant.
The municipality also issued a tribute, saying Gültekin would be remembered for his dedication to Üsküdar and the strong bonds he had built with local residents.