Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş has announced his resignation from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), citing the disruption of opposition unity following a judicial crackdown launched last year.
“The process that began on March 19 and continued with many legal and political debates, including discussions about absolute nullity, has brought politics in Turkey to a point that we all follow with regret,” Yavaş said in a written statement posted on social media.
His remarks referred to a sweeping judicial crackdown on CHP-run municipalities involving corruption investigations that began in March last year with the arrest of now-suspended İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the removal of the party leadership by a court order in May this year. The court reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, declaring a Nov 2023 leadership election null over alleged irregularities.
Since the corruption crackdown began, more than 35 opposition mayors have been arrested and suspended from office, while some mayors and municipal council members have switched to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Opposition concerned over İstanbul takeover as council member resigns
Özgür Özel formed the New (Yeni) Party in July after his court-ordered ouster, with most CHP deputies and mayors joining him. Yavaş, however, remained in the CHP.
In his resignation announcement, the mayor offered an implicit explanation for his decision not to switch to the New Party:
“If there is to be a democratic change of government in Turkey, the path to achieving it lies not in the opposition consuming itself, but in its ability to come together on shared principles.
"When people go to the polls, they vote not only for a name but also for a political will. For this reason, I did not, and still do not, consider it right to disregard the will of the voters or to move the positions obtained through their votes to political entities that the voters have not endorsed."
Yavaş was elected mayor of the capital in 2019 with more than 50% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2024, increasing his vote share to over 60%.
Hours after Yavaş'a announcement, six district mayors in Ankara also resigned from the CHP. The mayors of Kalecik, Beypazarı, Güdül, Polatlı, Ayaş and Şereflikoçhisar declared support for Yavaş and said that they will remain independent.
Yavaş's meeting with Erdoğan
Yavaş visited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex on Sep 9, fueling speculation that he might follow other opposition mayors in resigning from the CHP or joining Erdoğan’s AKP.
He denied the speculation, saying the meeting focused solely on securing financing for large-scale projects planned in Ankara.
The timing of the meeting also drew attention, as Sep 9 marks the anniversary of the Turkish army’s capture of İzmir in 1922, a major turning point in the War of Independence. Yavaş met Erdoğan that day instead of attending events organized by the CHP, the founding party of the republic, prompting criticism.
Yavaş also addressed the criticism in his statement:
“Previously, I had stated that if there was any dissatisfaction within the party regarding me personally or the stance I have taken, I would take the necessary steps.
“And in light of certain statements made today, I am resigning from my membership in the Republican People’s Party and am submitting my decision to continue my political path as an independent to the public’s judgment.”
He did not specify which statements he was referring to. CHP spokesperson Müslüm Sarı indirectly criticized today without naming him, saying that the party’s institutional identity is above individuals and that mayors are expected to attend events organized by the party. (VK)
