12 mayors join AKP following nullity crisis in CHP

The mobility that began in local governments following the absolute nullity ruling against the CHP continues. While some mayors have announced they will remain in the CHP during this process, others have moved to the YENİ Party. It has been noted that 12 mayors elected from the CHP have joined the AKP.

YENİ Party Spokesperson Zeynel Emre had announced at the beginning of September that the number of mayors who joined the party had risen to 252. The party's Deputy Chairman responsible for Local Governments, Yaşar Tüzün, had also stated that they expect this number to exceed 300.

Among the names who resigned from the CHP and joined the AKP since May 21, when the nullity crisis began, are Tuzla Mayor Eren Ali Bingöl, Çekmeköy Mayor Orhan Çerkez, Şile Deputy Mayor Sacit Terzi, Ankara Gölbaşı Mayor Yakup Odabaşı, Kahramankazan Mayor Selim Çırpanoğlu, and Haymana Mayor Levent Koç.

Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, Keşan Mayor Mehmet Özcan, Kütahya Domaniç Mayor Engin Uysal, and Çanakkale Eceabat Mayor Saim Zileli were also counted among the mayors who joined the AKP. Tekirdağ Hayrabolu Mayor Tuncer Başoğlu, who resigned from the CHP in 2025 and remained independent for a while, was also among those who joined the AKP in August.

The latest name to join the AKP is Foça Mayor Saniye Bora Fıçı. It was stated that Fıçı attended the women mayors' meeting held at the AKP Headquarters and appeared in a photograph taken with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

NAMES WHO JOINED AKP BEFORE THE NULLITY RULING

It had been reported that some mayors who were elected from the CHP or had CHP roots had joined the AKP even before the nullity process. Among these names are Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, Şehitkamil Mayor Umut Yılmaz, Karkamış Mayor Mustafa Güzel, Söke Mayor Mustafa İberya Arıkan, and Yenipazar Mayor Malik Ercan.

Sultanhisar Mayor Osman Yıldırımkaya, Altınova Mayor Yasemin Fazlaca, Seydişehir Mayor Hasan Ustaoğlu, Göle Mayor Gökhan Budak, Hasankeyf Mayor Hamit Tutuş, Aksu Mayor İsa Yıldırım, Karalar Town Mayor Hasan Turgut, Aşdağul Town Mayor Şerif Öncül, Serik Mayor Kadir Kumbul, Afyonkarahisar Mayor Burcu Köksal, Dinar Mayor Veysel Topçu, and Beykoz Deputy Mayor Özlem Vural Gürzel were also among the names listed in this context.

News Source: 12punto