Erdoğan dismisses governor after criticism over public appearance in cycling outfit
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has replaced the governor of the eastern province of Ardahan, Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli, according to a decree published today in the Official Gazzette.
While such decrees do not specify the reasoning behind the decisions, the decision follows criticism from opposition and a public debate early this month over Çiçekli's public cycling appearances in athletic attire, and his interactions with the public in that outfit.
İnan Akgün Alp, an MP from the secularist main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), called for Çiçekli's removal during a parliamentary speech on Jul 5.
"There cannot be a governor with leggings. Either remove these governors or send them a fig leaf to wear," the lawmaker said, arguing that the governor's behavior was "not suitable for the seriousness of the state."
The matter had escalated into a quarrel in parliament after some lawmakers reacted to Alp's remarks.
Çiçekli did not directly respond to the criticism but reposted messages supporting him on his social media account.
Şamil Tayyar, a former lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a frequent commentator on public debates, also supported the dismissal of the governor in a comment on social media:
"Governors represent the state, they are the president's frontier commanders in the province. They have to act in accordance with this representation.
"Neither citizens nor the public personnel he manages will take a governor in leggings seriously, and he cannot establish state authority."
Tayyar also questioned "according to what criteria people with such a mindset are appointed as governors."
Ömer Hilmi Yamlı, the district governor of Şehitkamil in Antep, has been appointed to replace Çiçekli.
Response from Çiçekli: 'I'll keep pedaling!'
BirGün newspaper reached out to Çiçekli following the president's decision, and the dismissed governor clarified that he only wears such attire when training and not during his working hours:
"I am someone who does various sports branches close to a professional level. I am a sailing and rowing athlete. I am a cycling athlete. The clothing on me is also a sports outfit that I use for doing sports in the mornings, which I wear while doing sports. Other than that, we do not walk around in this clothing during our working hours. We do this sport at very early hours on the weekend. So we do sports with sports attire."
When asked "What will you do next? Do you have a current duty?" Çiçekli replied, "Keeping on pedaling":
"I am not someone who does sports just for image. I rowed in İstanbul, I sailed in the Marmara and the Aegean, I rode a bicycle in Karaburun in Ankara. What will I do next? I will do more sports."
Çiçekli added that he did not have prior knowledge about his removal from office and learned it after the decree was published in the Official Gazzette:
"This decision is the discretion of our leaders. They saw this fit. Long live our state and our nation."
(VK)