Zana Gümüş (born 31 March 2001) is a Turkish local politician and international delegate. He is a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, where he has participated in monitoring activities and international election observation missions.
Early life and education Zana Gümüş was born on 31 March 2001 in Diyarbakir, Türkiye. He later moved to Istanbul, where he pursued his education and political activities. He completed undergraduate studies in international relations and continued postgraduate studies abroad, including academic programs in the United Kingdom. He is pursuing doctoral-level research in political science and international relations.
Political career Gümüş is active in local politics in Istanbul and has served as an elected municipal council member. His political work has focused on local democracy, institutional governance, and international engagement at the municipal level.
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Gümüş is a member of the Turkish delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a pan-European assembly representing elected local and regional officials from Council of Europe member states that monitors the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.
In 2026, Gümüş joined the Congress's Monitoring Committee meeting in Strasbourg. Gümüş commented that the democratic legitimacy of elected local officials is based on public support.
Gümüş has participated in the Congress's election observation missions, including the 2025 October North Macedonia local elections, 2025 April Finland local elections, and 2026 February early presidential elections in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2026, the Congress appointed Gümüş as one of the Rapporteurs for Portugal, who monitor the state of local and regional democracy in the country.
Gümüş has also commented on issues related to foreign policy and European integration in public discussions. In these remarks, he stated that Türkiye's foreign policy should be conducted through institutional frameworks characterized by strategic consistency and predictability rather than ad hoc decision-making. He also referred to democratic governance, the rule of law, and social standards associated with the European Union as relevant reference points in discussions on Türkiye's domestic and foreign policy orientation, regardless of the country's formal membership status.
See also Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe European Charter of Local Self-Government
References