Former Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş, who assumed the role for 13 years, has passed away while being treated for COVID-19 in hospital.
Topbaş, who had been receiving treatment for coronavirus in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Istanbul since November, was 76 years old. He is survived by three children and his wife.
Topbaş was hospitalized on Nov. 16. 2020. While in hospital his condition deteriorated and he was intubated. It was reported that Topbaş was on dialysis last week.
A funeral ceremony for the late mayor will be held Sunday at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) headquarters in Istanbul’s Fatih district, in addition to funeral prayers at the historic Fatih Mosque.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who cut short his Black Sea region trip and departed for Istanbul to attend the funeral, said in a tweet he was deeply saddened at the demise of Topbaş and his contributions to Istanbul and Turkey would not be forgotten.
