Politics
Izmir mayor defects from opposition to Erdoğan's AKP
October 7, 2026 at 03:06 PM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 1 hour
Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay has joined Turkey's ruling AKP party, giving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan control of a major opposition stronghold.
- Erdoğan announced Tugay's defection at a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, presenting him with a party pin.
- Tugay had vowed in January he would never join the AKP but resigned from the CHP in June after a court ruling replaced its leadership.
- At least 17 opposition mayors had already joined the AKP, and six CHP provincial mayors, including Istanbul's Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been arrested, according to Diken figures.
- CHP leader Özgür Özel said those who "sell out and leave" are traitors.