21.06.2026 17:40
Ankara backrooms are buzzing with claims of major transfers in local governments. At tomorrow's Ankara Provincial Advisory Council meeting, which President Erdoğan will attend, six mayors, mostly from the CHP, are expected to join the AK Party. The list includes former CHP Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, İYİ Party Nevşehir Mayor Rasim Arı, and the mayors of Gölbaşı, Haymana, Nallıhan, and Çamlıdere. Erdoğan will personally pin their badges tomorrow.
Capital political circles are buzzing with claims of a major wave of transfers at the mayor level. Ahead of AK Party's Provincial Advisory Council meeting in Ankara tomorrow, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it is alleged that a total of 6 mayors, mostly from CHP, will switch to AK Party.
Following the transitions at the metropolitan level in Aydın and Afyonkarahisar, attention has now turned to Ankara's district municipalities and regional provinces.
FOCUS ON THESE NAMES: INCLUDING ÖZARSLAN AND ARI
According to information leaked from the corridors, the names expected to join AK Party include politicians who have gone through controversial processes:
Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan: After tensions with Özgür Özel in February, Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan resigned from his party and remained independent. He is widely expected to join AK Party ranks at tomorrow's ceremony.
Nevşehir Mayor Rasim Arı: It is claimed that Nevşehir Mayor Rasim Arı, who won the March 31 local elections under the İYİ Party umbrella, will also resign from his party and switch to AK Party. Arı previously resigned from AK Party in January 2021 for health reasons.
Çamlıdere Mayor Adem Ceylan: Çamlıdere Mayor Adem Ceylan, who ran as an independent and won the elections, is also reported to be among those who will receive their badges tomorrow.
ALLEGED TRANSITION FOR 3 CHP MAYORS
Following claims in recent days that 4 CHP mayors in Ankara would switch to AK Party, there have been busy days. Among the names in question, only Kalecik Mayor Satılmış Karakoç flatly denied the allegations.
At tomorrow's major gathering, the status of the other 3 mayors who did not deny the claims will become clear. According to sources, Gölbaşı Mayor Yakup Odabaşı, Haymana Mayor Levent Koç, and Nallıhan Mayor Ertunç Güngör are also expected to resign from CHP and join AK Party.
The recent meeting of Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum with the Haymana and Gölbaşı mayors had also strengthened these claims.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN WILL PIN THE BADGES
In this process of consecutive operations against opposition municipalities and changing dynamics in local governments, AK Party's Ankara Provincial Advisory Council meeting could witness a historic transfer move. The participation status of new names at tomorrow's meeting will be determined by the badges pinned personally by President Erdoğan. The heart of politics will beat at this strategic meeting in Ankara tomorrow.