Also writing as a columnist for online local news sites, he remains as a representative for his hometown in the Istanbul Board of Veterinary Surgeons.
Salman was the CHP candidate for the Mayor of Yalova, running against the incumbent Yakup Koçal from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the local elections of 2014.
As a CHP politician, Salman came under scrutiny for authorising the deforestation of several trees in order to make way for a new bridge and road junction.
In response to criticism, Salman claimed that it had pained him to take the decision, but noted that the trees were not being cut down to make way for a new shopping mall, a thermal power station or new municipal offices.
[4] On 27 February 2020, Vefa Salman was dismissed by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey, and Mustafa Tutuk was elected instead of him by the vote in the municipal council.