Political earthquake in Turkey: The staunch secular stronghold falls into Erdogan's hands

Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay is expected to defect to President Erdogan's ruling AKP party in a historic move: for the first time, the party will control the secular, pro-Western city, Turkey's third-largest. The report, based on a municipal source, comes after a meeting between Tugay and Erdogan on September 30, described as a discussion on future projects. The defection deals a symbolic blow to the opposition and marks a major victory for Erdogan.

Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay is expected to defect to President Erdogan's ruling AKP party in an unprecedented move in Turkish political history. According to a report in the newspaper 'Turkey Today', a source in the Izmir municipality confirmed that the transition is 'most likely sealed', and a formal announcement is expected within the week. The reports follow a long period of rumors about Tugay's impending defection, which he previously denied. Tugay's meeting with President Erdogan on September 30 in Ankara, officially described as a discussion on 'future projects in Izmir', apparently paved the way for the move. His joining will be a historic milestone: this will be the first time the AKP party will rule Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, known for its staunch secular character and status as an opposition stronghold. In recent decades, the city has served as a major center for protest demonstrations against Erdogan's governments. Its fall into the hands of the ruling party, even through a political defection, constitutes a severe image blow to the opposition and a huge symbolic victory for the president. The article speculates that a threat or similar concern to that of Erdogan's rival, Ekrem Imamoglu (who was arrested on corruption charges), may have influenced Tugay's decision.