Mersin MP Hasan Ufuk Çakır, who resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP), had joined the ranks of the AKP after receiving a party pin from AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
HIS REMARKS AT THE AKP GROUP MEETING HAD SPARKED DEBATE
Çakır’s praise for Erdoğan and the salute he gave during the induction ceremony held at the AKP Group Meeting had drawn criticism even from within his own party.
THIS TIME A SALUTE TO ERDOĞAN’S PHOTOGRAPH
Most recently, speaking at the AKP Provincial Advisory Council Meeting held in his hometown of Mersin, Hasan Ufuk Çakır made another notable gesture. Çakır, who switched to the AKP after being elected as an MP with the votes of CHP supporters, turned toward a photograph of President Erdoğan in the hall and gave a military salute.
?? A second military salute to Erdoğan from Hasan Ufuk Çakır, who switched from the CHP to the AKP..
— Sokak Kedisi (@sokakkedisitv) January 12, 2026
This time in front of his picture… pic.twitter.com/gzG8DdxrEi
“AK PARTY WILL BE THE CLEAR WINNER IN MERSIN”
Making ambitious statements at the meeting, Çakır argued that the AKP would be the clear first party in the first election to be held in Mersin. The footage of Çakır, who continued his praise for Erdoğan throughout his speech, became a trending topic on social media.
News Source: 12punto
