The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) admitted Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third largest city Izmir on Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was scheduled to present Tugay with party’s badge at an official ceremony in Ankara, at the congress center of the party.

Tugay has recently resigned from opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and met Erdoğan at the presidential complex last month.

His switch marks a major turning point for the opposition which lost a large number of mayors to AK Party since the 2024 election. This will be the first time AK Party will run the municipality of Izmir, a traditional stronghold of CHP which itself lose substantial power when former chair Özgür Özel resigned and founded New Party (YP) in July.

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