Aytaç Durak

Who is Aytaç Durak?

Aytaç Durak is a Turkish politician, and has been the mayor of Adana since 1984, excluding one term. He is the longest serving locally elected city mayor in Turkey, currently at his 5th term. Adding his 17 years as a municipal councillor, he will have served the municipality of Adana for 42 years by the end of this term. He was the president of the Municipalities Union of Turkey for 17 years and the Çukurova Municipalities Union for 12 years.

Aytaç Durak is the only politician to have run in all the municipal elections since 1973; twice as councillor, six times as mayoral candidate, losing only once in the 1989 mayoral race. He is regarded as the doyen of Turkey's local politics.