Ayşe Ünlüce

Ayşe Ünlüce completed her undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Law at Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir. She began her professional career at the Ministry of Justice, serving as a criminal court judge. 

After leaving the judiciary, she returned to practicing law and went on to work at Türk Telekom A.Ş. as Head of Legal Affairs and later at Eskişehir Osmangazi University as Legal Counsel. Between 2002 and 2016, she actively engaged in various civil society organizations, particularly the Eskişehir Bar Association and the Eskişehir City Council. In 2016, Ünlüce was appointed as the First Legal Counsel of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality and, in April 2018, she was promoted to Secretary General of the municipality. During her tenure, she played an active role in legal proceedings to protect the city’s environment, including lawsuits against the planned coal-fired thermal power plant in the Alpu Plain, a project that posed significant risks to Eskişehir’s air, water, and soil. Her efforts were instrumental in ensuring favorable outcomes for the city.

Ünlüce also spearheaded rural development initiatives and collaborative projects with civil society organizations, particularly educational programs aimed at strengthening the social and cultural lives of women, youth, and children in rural areas. In 2023, Ünlüce retired from her position as Secretary General. On January 10, 2024, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Party Assembly officially announced her as their candidate for Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality. On March 31, 2024, she was elected Mayor with 51.03% of the vote.

Following her election, Ayşe Ünlüce was elected as a member of the 14-person Executive Committee of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB). She also represents Türkiye as the head of the national delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.