Massive Izmir Protests After Mayor Cemil Tugay Switches to Erdoğan’s AKP

Updated 5 min 3 sec ago

October 8, 2026 03:31

More than 1,000 protesters gathered in the opposition stronghold of Izmir on Wednesday, clashing with police after Mayor Cemil Tugay announced his defection to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). The move was hailed by Erdoğan as a symbolic victory in his quest to control the secular Aegean city of 4.5 million residents, which has been governed by the opposition for nearly three decades.

In Ankara, Erdoğan publicly welcomed Tugay at a televised meeting, casting the switch as a party celebration. The announcement sparked immediate backlash in Izmir, Turkey’s third‑largest city, where police erected barricades around major squares ahead of an evening demonstration.

As night fell, crowds waving Turkish flags gathered near the barriers of Cumhuriyet Square. They chanted “Tugay, resign!” and “Tugay, the traitor!” while riot police and at least four water‑cannon trucks observed the scene. Some protesters carried a makeshift coffin inscribed with “Politically dead,” symbolising what they view as the end of Tugay’s political career.

“This is a bad day for Izmir … Taking votes from the people then breaking away like this is irresponsible,” said 60‑year‑old Melihat Aggul Ozdogan, adding, “The vote I cast was wasted.” Another demonstrator, 51‑year‑old Yasemin Koseer, declared, “We don’t want a mayor we did not choose. When we elected Tugay, we voted for a party.”

Addressing the crowd, Cagatay Guc, head of the Izmir branch of the opposition Yeni Party, challenged Tugay directly. “You have been dismissed, Cemil Tugay, you are not the mayor. You sit there with the votes of the nation, but today this nation has removed you from that position,” he said. “Today you are a big zero in the eyes of the nation.”

Police issued repeated dispersal warnings. Although a small group was briefly chased by officers, the demonstration ultimately ended peacefully.

The defection represents a major symbolic blow for the opposition, which has governed Izmir since 1999. While the AKP’s presence on the city council has risen from 38 to 39 seats, the council remains dominated by Yeni Parti (91 seats) and the CHP (35 seats). Approximately a dozen cultural figures resigned in protest, including the artistic director of Izmir’s municipal theatres, nine members of the theatre advisory board, and the poet who runs the Izmir International Literature Festival, according to the BirGun newspaper.

Nationwide, the opposition faces an escalating crackdown. Six provincial mayors, such as Istanbul’s Ekrem İmamoglu, have been arrested, together with 29 district mayors, 13 of them in Istanbul, reports the independent website Diken. In the meantime, at least 17 opposition mayors have defected to the AKP, as noted by Medyascope on September 30.

Political analyst Berk Esen described Tugay’s move as part of the AKP’s broader strategy to reverse its 2024 local‑election defeat through force and repression. “Many opposition mayors are switching sides out of fear,” Esen said. “Dozens have been arrested, many threatened, and some face prosecution. Against this backdrop of judicial pressure, several have chosen to change allegiances.”

Tugay, who took office in April 2024, resigned from the CHP after a controversial court ruling replaced the party’s leadership in June. Meanwhile, former CHP member Ozgur Ozel formed the new Yeni Parti, positioning it as the main opposition force in Turkey.

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