Hüseyin Avni Mutlu (born 1956) is a Turkish civil servant. He served as the Governor of Istanbul Province between 2010 and 2014.

Early years and education

Hüseyin Avni Mutlu was born to a

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...

father in Fındıklı town of Rize Province, Turkey in 1956. He has four siblings. He completed primary education in

Fatih Fatih () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km2, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metro ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. After graduating from the Law School of

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

, he was appointed candidate district governor () in

Kocaeli Province Kocaeli Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey and one of only three not to have the same official name as its capital, İzmit, which is thus also sometim ...

in 1985. He then served as deputy district governor in Gerede,

Bolu Province Bolu Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in north-western Turkey, between the capital, Ankara, and the largest city in the country, Istanbul. Its area is 8,313 km,2, and its population is 320,824 (2022). The capital city of the pr ...

and Kargı,

Çorum Province Çorum () is a province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey, but lying inland and having more characteristics of Central Anatolia than the Black Sea coast. Its area is 12,428 km2, and its population is 524,130 (2022). Its provincial capital ...

. In 1988, Mutlu was appointed district governor in Büyükorhan of

Bursa province Bursa Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in Turkey along the Sea of Marmara coast in northwestern Anatolia. It borders Balıkesir Province, Balıkesir to the west, K ...

. In 1991, he went to the USA for one year, where he was educated in English language. Following his return, he was assigned to Silopi,

Şırnak Province Şırnak Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province in Turkey in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. Şırnak Province was created in 1990, with areas that were formerly part of the Siirt Province, Siirt, Hakkâri Province, Hakkâri and Mardin ...

as district governor serving until 1994. Between 1994 and 1995, he was deputy province governor in Şırnak, from 1995 to 1977 head of Habur Border Crossing Point in Silopi, and between 1997 and 2002 district governor in Eceabat, Çanakkale Province. The following year, he served as deputy province governor in Çanakkale. He was the district governor of

Bağcılar Bağcılar is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 23 km2, and its population is 740,069 (2022). It is located on the East Thrace, European side of Istanbul, near the ...

Istanbul Province Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

from 2003 to 2005. Mutlu is married to a now-retired teacher of history. The couple has two sons. One son studied business administration and the other was educated in law.

Career

Between 2005 and 2007, he served as province governor of Siirt. On September 10, 2007, Mutlu was appointed governor of

Diyarbakır Province Diyarbakır Province (; ; ) is a province and metropolitan municipality in southeastern Turkey. Its area is 15,101 km2, and its population is 1,804,880 (2022). The provincial capital is the city of Diyarbakır. The Kurdish majority province ...

succeeding Efkan Ala. On March 31, 2010, Mutlu became governor of Istanbul Province succeeding Muammer Güler. His term ended in 2014 when he was made governor without any responsibility. On 19 July 2016 he was dismissed due to his alleged connection with the

Gülen movement The Gülen movement () or Hizmet movement () is an Islamist fraternal movement. It is a sub-sect of Sunni Islam based on a Nursian theological perspective as reflected in Fethullah Gülen's religious teachings. It is referred to by its membe ...

Gezi protests

On May 28, 2013, protests began, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park. Mass demonstrations spread across the country from Istanbul while riot police brutally tried to suppress the protesters. During a meeting held between the Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

, some cabinet members and representatives of students, academics and NGOs on June 12, 2013, Erdoğan told that he was informed late and incomplete about the course and the extent of the events in Taksim. He added that he had summoned the highest-ranked local civil servant responsible and censured him, who hereupon cried. One of the participants later told the daily '' Vatan'' that they perceived the person meant was Governor of Istanbul Hüseyin Avni Mutlu. Governor Mutlu denied this statement and asserted that the prime minister did not use the word "governor".

Arrest

Mutlu was suspended from his position as a governor on July 17, 2016, shortly after the

2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt In the evening of 15 July 2016, a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces, organized as the Peace at Home Council, attempted a coup d'état against state institutions, including the government and president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They attempted ...

, which was allegedly orchestrated by the

Gülen Movement The Gülen movement () or Hizmet movement () is an Islamist fraternal movement. It is a sub-sect of Sunni Islam based on a Nursian theological perspective as reflected in Fethullah Gülen's religious teachings. It is referred to by its membe ...

. He was accused of having ties to the organization behind the takeover attempt. On July 26, he was detained as part of the investigation into the failed coup. He was arrested on August 5, 2016.

References

{{Authority control 1956 births People from Fındıklı Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni Turkish civil servants Governors (Turkey) Governors of Diyarbakır Governors of Istanbul People involved in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt Living people