Europeupdated 51m ago2 min read
Cemil Tugay Joins Erdogan’s AKP, Sparking Protests in Izmir
Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay defected from CHP to President Erdogan's AKP in Ankara. Erdogan publicly welcomed Tugay, framing the move as a symbolic victory in Izmir.
Izmir mayor joins AKP
Cemil Tugay joined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP in Ankara, handing Erdogan a symbolic victory in Izmir, Turkey’s third city on the Aegean coast. Erdogan personally welcomed Tugay at an AKP meeting in Ankara, where he presented Tugay with a party badge amid applause broadcast live on TV. More than 1,000 protesters gathered in Izmir on Wednesday angered by the defection, and police barricaded the city’s main squares ahead of an evening protest.
The streets around Cumhuriyet Square filled with crowds waving Turkish flags and chanting "Tugay, resign!" while riot police and at least four water cannon trucks watched. Izmir’s mayoralty had been governed by opposition social democrats since 1999, and Tugay’s move did not give the AKP a majority in the city’s municipal council.
Protests and competing narratives
Protesters in Izmir denounced Tugay’s decision as a betrayal, with one demonstrator telling AFP, "The vote I cast was wasted," and another saying, "We don't want AKP to impose its rule on Izmir." Cagatay Guc, head of the Izmir branch of the main opposition Yeni party, challenged Tugay at the rally, saying, "You have been dismissed, Cemil Tugay, you are not the mayor." Erdogan framed the defection as a gain for governance, telling party members, "I welcome Izmir mayor Cemil Tugay, who is today joining the AKP family," while presenting him with a party pin.
Political analyst Berk Esen said Tugay’s defection reflected the AKP’s strategy, adding, "This is a continuation of AKP's strategy to reverse its major defeat in the 2024 local elections through force and repression". The opposition also described pressure tactics, with Özgür Özel telling his party’s parliamentary group, "Those who do not bow to this pressure ... will remain our brothers until the day they die."
Council arithmetic and fallout
Izmir’s 184-member city council remained opposition-dominated even after Tugay’s switch, with Yeni Parti holding 91 seats, the AKP holding 38, and the CHP holding 35. Tugay’s defection increased the AKP to 39 seats, while the municipal council still did not give the ruling party a majority. The defection followed Tugay’s resignation from the CHP in June after a controversial court ruling replaced the party’s leadership, and the former CHP leader Özgür Özel left to found the Yeni Parti.
The political crackdown described in the reporting included arrests and lawsuits targeting mayors and elected officials, with Diken figures cited as showing six provincial CHP mayors arrested including Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and 29 district mayors arrested. The reporting also tied the shift to a broader pattern of opposition mayors switching to the AKP, with Medyascope cited as saying at least 17 opposition mayors had joined the ruling party before Tugay’s defection.