İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay formally joined President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), with Erdoğan presenting him with a party badge at a ceremony.
The move gives the AKP control of Turkey’s third-largest city, a secular stronghold where the ruling party had not won an election since coming to power in 2002.
Tugay had been elected mayor in the 2024 local elections as a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) with 49 percent of the vote while the AKP's candidate had secued 37 percent.
Tugay's switch comes amid a corruption crackdown targeting municipalities won by the CHP in those elections. Since operations began in Mar 2025, more than 35 mayors have been arrested and removed from office, including mayors of metropolitan municipalities such as İstanbul, Antalya, Adana, Bursa and Mersin.
Several mayors have also left the CHP and joined the AKP.
Tugay prevously said he would "never" join the AKP. He resigned from the CHP in June.
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Last month, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş announced that he was leaving the CHP and would continue his duty as an independent.
The opposition, which scored significant gains in the 2024 local elections, has now lost control of two of Turkey’s three largest cities. İstanbul is being run by an acting mayor from CHP, although the opposition is concerned that the AKP could also gain control there through changes in the composition of the municipal council.
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Meanwhile, police took security measures in İzmir against potential protests, erecting barricades in Cumhuriyet and Konak Atatürk squares.
Erdoğan: İzmir is even more beautiful today
Opening his speech at the ceremony, Erdoğan said, “İzmir is even more beautiful today.”
The president praised Tugay and others for their decision to join AKP:
“The AK Party family continues to grow even further with new members. Those who are tired of the pressure of party feudal lords see the AK Party as the safest address. Those who want to serve their voters seek the solution here. Every other claim is speculation and slander.”
“The AK Party is a party that wrote the book on municipal government in Turkey.”
“Municipal government is a position of sacrifice. We do not practice municipal government to fill our own pockets or the pockets of our spouses, friends and relatives. On the contrary, we do it to improve the well-being of the nation and build beautiful cities.”
“I would like to say welcome to the AK Party family to İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, who has joined us today. I want to emphasize that we will support him with all our means in his efforts to serve İzmir, the pearl of the Aegean.”
A brief history of politician transfers in Turkey
Tugay: I love İzmir
Tugay spoke to reporters while he was entering the AKP headquarters, saying, "Good things are awaiting İzmir, no reason to worry. I love İzmir."
In his speech at the ceremony, he said he had joined the AKP because he believed in and trusted its political path:
“I grew up in İzmir, became a doctor and served for 30 years as a physician. For some time, I have also been serving through politics. All of our citizens have become my family.
“The AK Party is the protector of those who have no one. I have joined this movement with belief and trust, under the leadership of our president, to accompany those who have devoted themselves to the path of a great and strong Turkey.
“With the leadership of our president and the valuable support of the AK Party family, we are setting out to solve İzmir’s problems and rebuild the city."
(VK)
