Gökçek Meets Erdoğan, Declares He Will Resign

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Following the meeting between Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at Presidential Palace in Beştepe in Turkey’s capital Ankara, Gökçek has announced that he will resign from his post.

The meeting lasted around two hours. Gökçek left the palace after the meeting and announced his time of resignation.

“We held a meeting with Mr. President. Hopefully, I’ll convene Ankara Municipality Assembly and submit my resignation on Saturday (October 28)”.

Balıkesir Mayor has remained

Bursa Mayor Recep Altepe of whom Erdoğan asked resignation announced that he would resign yesterday (October 23).

On October 19, Erdoğan had said that Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, Bursa Mayor Recep Altepe and Balıkesir Mayor Ahmet Edip Uğur were asked of their resignation and added that “the consequences will be severe if they don’t”.

It is now only Balıkesir Mayor Uğur remaining at his post among the mayors who were asked to resign.

İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş was also among the figures who were asked to resign and he resigned on September 22.

About Melih Gökçek

İbrahim Melih Gökçek (born 20 October 1948) is a Turkish politician who has been the Mayor of Ankara since 1994.

From 1991 to 1994, he was an MP. Gökçek has won municipal elections in 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and was controversially also declared the winner in 2014.

He is a member of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). (HK/TK)