Mayor of Izmir from opposition CHP switches to Erdoğan's party, ending 27 years of left rule

Cemil Tugay, who won the position of mayor of Izmir for the center-left CHP in 2024 with a majority of over 314,000 votes, has joined the ruling AKP party of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He received his party badge from the Turkish president in Ankara. The move ends 27 years of center-left rule in Turkey's third-largest city and has shaken the opposition.