Political switch brings protests, but city council remains in opposition hands
İZMİR, Turkey — More than 1,000 people gathered in İzmir on Wednesday to protest Mayor Cemil Tugay’s decision to join President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party/AKP). Demonstrators called for his resignation, while police placed barriers around key areas of the city. AFP+1
Tugay was elected mayor in March 2024 as a Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate, winning about 49% of the vote, compared with roughly 37% for the AK Party candidate. He left the CHP in June and served as an independent before formally joining the AK Party on October 7. Reuters+1
The move is politically significant because İzmir has been a long-standing stronghold of Turkey’s secular and centre-left opposition. Erdoğan welcomed Tugay into the AK Party, saying cooperation between local and central government could help deliver results for the city. Tugay has similarly presented the switch as an opportunity to work more closely with the central government. Reuters
At the same time, the change does not give the AK Party full control of İzmir’s municipal government. Opposition parties still hold a majority in the city council, meaning Tugay will have to work with a council where his new party remains a minority. euronews+1
The development comes during a wider period of political tension in Turkey. Opposition figures have alleged that legal pressure on opposition municipalities has contributed to political defections, while the government maintains that Turkey’s judiciary operates independently. Reuters+1
