AKP, but he refused to quit the party. He stated his plan to carve out a separate burial space for soldiers who participated in the coup and name it "the graveyard for traitors". Near the end of Topbaş's mayoral tenure in 2017, he vetoed five proposed municipal zoning plan changes. However, the vetoes were overridden by his fellow AKP members. He resigned as the mayor of Istanbul metropolitan area on 22 September 2017, without revealing a particular political reason. Mevlüt Uysal, the district mayor of Başakşehir since 2009, was elected as his successor by the Council of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on 28 September. Personal life and death He was married and had two sons and a daughter. In November 2020, Topbaş was hospitalized for COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. He died on 13 February 2021, due to multiple organ failure amidst being treated for COVID-19 complications. Awards References External links UCLG bio CityMayors profile 20th-century Turkish politicians 21st-century Turkish politicians 1945 births 2021 deaths Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Deaths from multiple organ failure Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians Mayors of Istanbul National Salvation Party politicians Istanbul University alumni People from Artvin Province Recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit (Korea) Turkish architects Turkish Sunni Muslims Virtue Party politicians Welfare Party politicians Marmara University alumni Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University alumni