Cemil Tugay, the mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city and a traditional stronghold of the secular opposition, officially joined President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party (AKP) on Wednesday. This move grants the AKP leadership of a major city it has historically failed to win through elections, amid a broader crackdown on opposition figures.
Tugay, who was elected mayor in March 2024 as a candidate for the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), had resigned from the party in June. His formal induction into the AKP took place at a ceremony in Ankara. Tugay expressed confidence that collaboration between local and central government would yield significant achievements for Izmir.
The defection represents a considerable symbolic victory for Erdogan's party in Izmir, a western coastal city long considered the heart of Turkey's secular and social democratic opposition. Despite the AKP's dominance in national politics for over two decades, it has never secured a victory in the Izmir metropolitan municipality elections.
The political landscape has been intensified by recent actions against opposition mayors. Authorities have initiated investigations, often citing corruption charges, against numerous opposition officials. Critics contend these accusations are politically motivated, a sentiment echoed by the opposition which argues the judiciary is being manipulated. Many opposition mayors, including Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a significant political rival to Erdogan, are currently detained pending trial. Tunc Soyer, Tugay's predecessor as Izmir mayor, is also among those facing charges in a corruption probe.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has accused the AKP of employing coercion, including threats of imprisonment, to influence Tugay's decision. Ozel characterized defectors as "traitors" while those who resist such pressure are hailed as "brothers." President Erdogan, however, rejected these claims at the ceremony, stating that the AKP is seen as the "safest address" for those wishing to serve their cities peacefully, attributing the party's growing support to this perceived security.
Tugay's move follows that of Ozlem Cercioglu, the mayor of Aydin, another western coastal city, who also defected to the AKP from the CHP. Additionally, numerous district mayors elected under opposition banners in 2024 have since joined the ruling party.
