The Şehzadeler district of the western province of Manisa came together on Dec. 15 to bid farewell to Mayor Gülşah Durbay, who passed away while receiving treatment for colon cancer.
The 37-year-old mayor, who had been battling the disease since last year, saw her condition deteriorate earlier this month.
Durbay had been intubated for two days and died on the evening of Dec. 14 in the western city.
Running for office under the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the 2024 local elections, Durbay won 38 percent of the vote, bringing the district administration under her party’s control.
A memorial ceremony was held in front of the Şehzadeler Municipality building on Dec. 15, drawing thousands of residents.
Wrapped in the Turkish flag, Durbay’s coffin was carried by police officers and brought to the square amid applause.
The ceremony was also attended by CHP leader Özgür Özel, Manisa Governor Vahdettin Özkan, senior CHP officials, lawmakers, mayors and municipal staff.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Durbay’s close friend and Çeşme Mayor Lal Denizli struggled to hold back tears.
“Being your sister was a privilege for me,” Denizli said. “You will never be forgotten. I am grateful you passed through this country and lit up our lives. May God grant you the most beautiful place in heaven. Rest in peace, my dear.”
CHP leader Özgür Özel also became emotional during his remarks.
“Just six months ago, we bid farewell to my brother Ferdi Zeyrek, with Gülşah in tears,” Özel said, referring to CHP’s Manisa mayor, who died in June after suffering an electric shock.
Emphasizing Durbay’s extensive service within the party, Özel added: “In a city where we once received 6 percent of the vote, we won 60 percent. People cast two votes — one for Gülşah and one for Ferdi.”
Following the ceremony, Durbay’s funeral cortege proceeded from the municipal building to the mosque where funeral prayers were held, after which she was laid to rest.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also shared a condolence message for the mayor.
Durbay was born in Manisa in 1988 and completed her early education in the city. She graduated from Hacettepe University’s Department of Food Engineering in 2011 and later earned a law degree from Yaşar University in 2024.
She obtained a master’s degree in English Business Administration from Yaşar University and began a PhD program in economics and finance at Manisa Celal Bayar University.
Durbay worked as a consultant for international food companies on food safety, occupational safety, quality and strategy, and served as CHP’s Youth Branch Chair between 2015 and 2020.
Elected mayor of Şehzadeler on March 31, 2024, Durbay became first female mayor in Manisa.
She was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2024 and began chemotherapy treatment the following month.
