The councilor of the Turkish city of Izmir, Cemil Tugay, has joined the ranks of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, months after leaving the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Tugay's adherence to the Islamist formation was formalized at an event held in Parliament alongside AKP deputies, where he stated that he joins "with faith and confidence, to accompany on their path those who are committed to building, under the leadership of the president, a great and strong Turkey, and a nation free of polarizations and divisions."
"I have not come to fight; my mission is love (...) We are getting started to lift Izmir, solve its problems, and rebuild our city. I have no doubt. With harmony and collaboration between local and central government, we will achieve great things," he stated, highlighting Erdogan's extensive track record at the helm of the country's institutions, according to the state agency Anadolu.
Tugay, who accessed the Mayor's Office of Izmir with the electoral support of the CHP, has been acting as an independent since June, after leaving the opposition party in a context of judicial investigations that have led to the detention of numerous CHP mayors, including Istanbul's, Ekrem Imamoglu, considered Erdogan's main contender for the 2028 presidential elections.
According to the Turkish newspaper 'BirGün', this shift in allegiance by Tugay has triggered protests in Cumhuriyet Square in Izmir, where slogans such as "Cemil traitor," "Cemil resignation," and "Imamoglu president" have been heard.