He had said, 'If I leave my party, I will also leave the mayoralty': That name has now joined the AKP
President Erdoğan pinned the AKP badge on Muhammet Septioğlu, who was elected Mayor of Palu from the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi).
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Muhammet Septioğlu, who was elected mayor of the Palu district of Elazığ as the candidate of the New Welfare Party in the March 31, 2024 local elections, has joined the AKP.
Septioğlu's transition to the party took place during the AKP Provincial Chairs Meeting held in Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the party badge on Septioğlu.
The party change has brought Septioğlu's previous statements back to the agenda. In an assessment he made in 2025, Septioğlu had stated that he was against changing parties, saying, "If you are going to leave your party, you will also leave the mayoralty; that is my view."
In the same statement, Septioğlu had used the expressions, "If I leave my party today, I will also leave the mayoralty. I am saying this clearly and plainly: when I leave my party, I will also leave the mayorship; let no one have any doubts about this."