The mayor of Turkey's opposition stronghold Izmir joins the ruling AKP party

Updated 2026-10-09 · told from many outlets at once

Cemil Tugay, elected mayor of Izmir in 2024, joined the ruling AKP. The mayor of Izmir defected to the AKP, which now controls Turkey's third-largest city. Izmir has about 4.5 million residents.

Cemil Tugay formally joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

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Outlets: Al-Monitor, Balkan Insight (BIRN), Bianet English, Deutschlandfunk, Kathimerini, The Guardian

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