Cemil Tuğay, the mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, has joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Modern.az reports that Tuğay's joining the party was formalized at a ceremony held in Ankara with the participation of Turkish President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Tuğay was elected mayor of Izmir in March 2024 as a candidate of the Republican People's Party (CHP). In those elections, he won 49 percent of the votes, while the AK Party candidate received 37 percent.
Tuğay, who resigned from the CHP in June this year, continued his activities as an independent.
His move to the ruling party is considered a significant political gain for the AK Party. The party has not yet been able to win the leadership of the Izmir metropolitan municipality through elections.
