AKP Gains Mayors Through Party Transfers, Including Winners from Opposition Lists

Turkey's ruling AKP has bolstered its ranks by welcoming several mayors from opposition parties, a move framed as strategic 'transfers' ahead of future political contests. The party celebrated the influx during its 25th-anniversary event, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally presented membership badges.

Among the notable defectors is Yakup Odabaşı, the mayor of Gölbaşı in Ankara, who had previously won the local election under the Republican People's Party (CHP) banner. His move to the AKP signifies a shift in local political allegiance. Similarly, Saim Zileli, the mayor of Eceabat in Çanakkale, joined the AKP. Zileli had secured over 51% of the vote in the previous local elections, while the AKP had only garnered 153 votes in that district.

The party also gained Türkan Kayır, the mayor of İdil in Şırnak, who was previously elected with a significant majority under the DEM Party but was later expelled. Kayır's inclusion makes her the AKP's first Syriac mayor, adding a new demographic dimension to the party's representation.

In total, five mayors from the CHP, one from the New Welfare Party (YRP), and one from the DEM Party officially joined the AKP. Other mayors who switched parties include Selim Çırpanoğlu (CHP, Kahramankazan, Ankara), Engin Uysal (CHP, Domaniç, Kütahya), Tuncer Başoğlu (CHP, Hayrabolu, Tekirdağ), and Ali Kemal Derin (YRP, Tavşanlı, Kütahya).