Izmir Mayor Defects to Erdogan’s AKP

Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay joined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP, handing the party the mayoralty of Turkey’s third-largest city. Tugay was elected in 2024 as a candidate of the opposition Republican People’s Party, CHP. His move follows a broader realignment in Turkey’s opposition, and New Party leader Ozgur Ozel said Erdogan had never won Izmir at the ballot box.

Cemil Tugay, who governs Izmir, was formally brought into the AKP at a gathering of its parliamentary group. Erdogan welcomed him and pledged support for serving the Aegean city, while Tugay praised Erdogan and expressed affection for Izmir. Izmir, home to about 4.5 million people, has long been an opposition stronghold and Turkey’s third-largest city.

Tugay won the 2024 mayoral race as a CHP candidate with 49 percent, beating the AKP contender’s 37 percent. His switch follows Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas’s September 23 departure from CHP; Yavas remains independent. The metropolitan council still favors opposition forces, with the New Party holding 93 seats. New Party leader Ozgur Ozel countered that Erdogan has never carried Izmir in an election.