It has been alleged that Çiğli Mayor Onur Emrah Yıldız is conducting negotiations in Ankara to join the AKP. While there has been no denial or statement from Yıldız's camp regarding the claims, a speech the mayor gave last year has become a hot topic on social media again.
Yıldız's name is being mentioned in political circles suggesting that new names could be added to the list of mayors who have defected from the opposition to the AKP. In recent weeks, İzmir's Foça Mayor Saniye Bora Fıçı also joined the AKP, with a badge pinned on her by AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
As the transfer rumors are being debated, a speech Yıldız gave at an event held with children in May 2025 has been recirculated. It was noted that the speech was delivered during protests following the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and numerous other figures on March 19, 2025.
In that speech, Yıldız used the following expressions for Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is being tried while in custody in the IMM case:
"A hero of ours lies in the Silivri dungeon. In every world where our savior, our hope, the apple of the eye not just of Istanbul but of Turkey, our Mayor Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu exists, everything will be very beautiful. We are not afraid, we are not silent."
??From the TV program that İzmir Çiğli Mayor Onur Emrah Yıldız, who is rumored to be joining the AKP and has not denied it so far, recorded with children in May 2025:
— Ümit KARTAL (@iz_umitkartal) September 22, 2026
??"A hero of ours lies in the Silivri dungeon. In every world where our savior, our hope, the apple of the eye not just of Istanbul..." pic.twitter.com/CFxTNcMvrU
In a post on his social media account during the period when İmamoğlu was announced as the CHP's presidential candidate, Yıldız had also included the following statements: "Every great march begins in İzmir! Our Republican People's Party Presidential Primary Candidate; our Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu has lit the torch in the city of liberation and foundation. As he underlined at the great meeting; 'We will stand up, we will walk toward the goal, and we will succeed together.'"
News Source: 12punto
