Breaking News... The expected has happened: Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan has resigned from the CHP

Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan has resigned from the CHP.

In a statement released on his social media account, Özarslan stated the following:

The statement is as follows:

'My Dear Fellow Citizens, in the local elections held on March 31, 2024, the people of Keçiören showed their favor and deemed me worthy of the Mayoralty with a large percentage of the vote. This favor from the people of Keçiören has honored me. As I announced at the certificate of election ceremony, I removed my party badge from the very first day and began to serve all of Keçiören transparently and equally. In this context, I have strived to bring services to our Keçiören by knocking on every door without regard to party affiliation.

Recently, after the increase in my visits aimed at finding solutions to the major investments and problems of our Keçiören, and after I transparently announced these visits to our public on social media, a systematic campaign of gossip and perception has been initiated by certain cliques and factions within the CHP. Those who are distant from the national and spiritual values I represent, and those who want to instrumentalize these values in intra-party settling of scores, have engaged in an effort to mislead the public with unrealistic speculations and to discredit me within the party. However, the slanders and speculations regarding me were ignored by me with the understanding that “Service to the People is Service to the Divine,” and on January 6, 2026, a meeting was held with the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Murat Kurum, for the purpose of solving the problems of our Keçiören.

After this visit, certain cliques within the CHP increased the dosage of these rumors and perceptions. However, it has been incomprehensible to me that another motive would be sought behind a Mayor visiting the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change—who has won the hearts of our people with his effective and rapid services, especially in the earthquake zone—and making the visit to serve his district. Furthermore, although our relationship with the Minister is a friendship spanning years, based on school and professional camaraderie, the number of these cliques and the pressure on me increased after this visit. Despite maintaining my silence against the pressure, gossip, and slander and continuing my services, on 07.02.2025 at 23:59, Whatsapp messages directed at me began to arrive from CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel. These messages contain insults, threats, and slanders that are incompatible with political courtesy, party ethics, public responsibility, and humanity.

I ask; does a chairman curse at a mayor? Does a chairman target family values and insult? Does a chairman threaten with unspeakable words? Especially in the face of messages where my family values and my sacred assets, my mother and my late father, were even involved; provided that my respect and love for the Republican People's Party voters remain, it is out of the question for me to serve in the ranks of the Republican People's Party anymore. Although my only priority is to serve Keçiören, I have come to the conclusion that it is not possible for me to perform my duties in a healthy manner by focusing my energy and work on the problems of my district in an environment where the tone and understanding contained in the messages prevail.

My reaction is not to the corporate identity of the Republican People's Party or its Kemalist and Republican voters; it is to the current management approach that has lost political courtesy and state seriousness.

In this framework, I am resigning from my membership in the Republican People's Party.

Despite everything, I would like to thank my fellow mayors in Ankara, especially the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, Mr. Mansur Yavaş, for their efforts. I believe that service-oriented politics should not be sacrificed to intra-party tensions and hurtful rhetoric; I express that the ground for engaging in politics where such a management with this rhetoric exists should be re-evaluated by everyone.

I would also like to state that; because I thanked the other Mayors in Ankara, especially Mr. Mansur Yavaş, with whom I walked the path, I ask for forgiveness from my fellow mayors, thinking that the cliques within the CHP who caused this process to reach this point will also twist my “thank you” into other things.

However; as their brother, friend, and colleague, I want to give a reminder; we had united our destinies to walk the path “in the way of Allah, with the aim of serving the nation, while protecting the unity and integrity of the homeland.” However; at the point we have reached; unfortunately, in CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel and his close colleagues; nothing remains of the Way of Allah, the homeland, the family, or any of the values we hold sacred, and all sanctities have been razed to the ground. I appeal to the consciences of the friends with whom I set out and walked the path; “The Cause is the Cause of Humanity”; I invite them to save themselves from this structure that has moved away from its founding codes and is managed in an immoral way, and not to take part in the immorality done to me. Let it not be forgotten that what is done to me and my family today will one day be done to them if no reaction is shown.

I will continue with determination to carry the trust of my fellow citizens of Keçiören properly and to work for our district without regard to party affiliation.

Respectfully announced to the public.'

My Dear Fellow Citizens,
In the local elections held on March 31, 2024, the people of Keçiören showed their favor and deemed me worthy of the Mayoralty with a large percentage of the vote. This favor from the people of Keçiören has honored me. As I announced at the certificate of election ceremony, from the first day…

— Dr. Mesut Özarslan (@OzarslanMesut) February 8, 2026

3 MORE CHP MEMBERS RESIGN

Following Özarslan, CHP Council Members Serkan Bedirhanoğlu, Cihan Ayhan, and Azra Ceylan Öztürk also announced that they have resigned from their party.

JOINING THE AKP ON WEDNESDAY

Journalist İsmail Saymaz alleged that Mesut Özarslan, who resigned from the CHP, will join the AKP on Wednesday.

"HE WANTED THE FILES AGAINST HIM CLOSED"

According to information obtained from CHP sources; CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met with Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş at noon today regarding the allegations that Özarslan would join the AKP.

Stating that they knew Özarslan had been holding meetings with the AKP for some time due to corruption allegations and 5 criminal complaints against him, CHP sources claimed that when these allegations emerged, Chairman Özel met with Özarslan several times and that Özarslan said the allegations were lies, but despite this, he continued to hold meetings with the AKP.

Stating that Özarslan has not been answering his phone for the last 2-3 days, the sources alleged that Özarslan agreed to join the AKP after receiving a promise that the corruption files against him would be closed.

It was noted that while this issue was also discussed in the meeting held between Özel and Yavaş today, Yavaş stated that he also possessed the information that Özel had conveyed regarding Özarslan.