Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay is facing growing pressure not to rejoin Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) amid speculation over his political future ahead of CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit to the western province.
Tugay, who remains an independent after leaving the CHP, has reportedly received messages from local New Party (YP) politicians, urging him not to return to his former party, according to reports citing CHP officials. Some of the messages allegedly included veiled threats.
The speculation intensified ahead of Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit to Izmir on Tuesday, where he is scheduled to make a series of visits before chairing a meeting of the CHP’s Central Executive Board (MYK).
Rumors that Tugay could meet Kılıçdaroğlu during the visit and potentially return to the CHP have prompted concern within the YP, according to the reports.
CHP officials, however, said there are currently no scheduled meetings between Kılıçdaroğlu and Tugay, while leaving open the possibility of developments during the visit. They also said the party leadership had not been in direct contact with Tugay since his resignation.
The controversy follows allegations that New Party Izmir lawmaker Tuncay Özkan warned Tugay during Aug. 30 ceremonies to make a decision about his political future, allegedly telling him to "watch his step.” Özkan denied the allegations.
CHP Izmir provincial chair Utku Gümrükçü said Tugay, along with other mayors, would receive an official invitation to Kılıçdaroğlu’s program.
"We would like to see Izmir Metropolitan Municipality's mayor among us,” Gümrükçü said.
Meanwhile, Muharrem Ince, who ran against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2018 elections, declared that he would not leave the CHP even after it lost its status as the main opposition after a major split.
The former physics teacher was once viewed as the savior of the CHP, which was doomed to consecutive defeats by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for the better part of the 2000s, and had garnered more than 30% of the vote in the 2018 election. Yet, after his defeat, he rapidly lost clout in the party and went on to found the Homeland Party in 2021. After the party was dissolved, he returned to the CHP last year upon invitation by then-Chairperson Özgür Özel.
Özel, ousted as CHP chair in May, founded YP, but Ince abstained from joining other figures of the CHP leaving the party en masse for YP. He has been cautious so far, but in statements over the weekend, he revealed that he would stay in the CHP, which is now reduced to a shadow of its former self.