12.10.2026 16:02
In İzmir, an AK Party delegation and mayors came together at the Historic Castle hosted by Cemil Tugay. The closed-door meeting brought together senior party representatives in the city and local administrators at the same table for the first time after Tugay's joining the AK Party. Responding to criticism over the party change, Tugay said, "It is natural for there to be reactions," while assuring municipal employees and citizens. Tugay stated, "No political pressure will be exerted on anyone."
The party delegation headed by AK Party Secretary General and Izmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan and the mayors came together at the coordination and evaluation meeting held at the Historic Chateau belonging to the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. The meeting, which was closed to the press and hosted by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, was recorded as a critical contact in that it brought together senior party representatives in the city and local administrators at the same table for the first time after Tugay's switch to the AK Party.
HIGH-LEVEL PARTICIPATION WAS ACHIEVED
In addition to AK Party Izmir Provincial Chairman Bilal Saygılı, AK Party Izmir MPs Şebnem Bursalı, Yaşar Kırkpınar, Mahmut Atilla Kaya and Mehmet Ali Çelebi attended the summit at the Historic Chateau. At the district municipality level, Menemen Mayor Aydın Pehlivan, Foça Mayor Saniye Bora Fıçı, Çiğli Mayor Onur Emrah Yıldız and Menderes Deputy Mayor Asuman Şen were among those present at the meeting.
It was learned that at the meeting, the latest status of investment and local government projects carried out throughout Izmir, as well as administrative coordination processes between the metropolitan and district municipalities, were discussed.
CEMİL TUGAY: EVERYONE IS VERY EAGER TO WORK
Speaking after the meeting, Cemil Tugay said, “Our AK Party Secretary General, our MP, our provincial chairman and our mayors came as a delegation for a congratulatory visit. I thank them for their kind visit. Everyone is very eager to work together to serve our Izmir. With the contacts in the coming days and the steps to be taken, we will together show that very beautiful services in Izmir will be implemented step by step. This was a brief evaluation of it. I thank them for their congratulatory visits.”
“I AM SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND THE PARTY CHANGE”
Evaluating the reactions from the CHP and the YENİ Party after the switch, Tugay said, “It is natural for there to be reactions. However, all of the prevailing conditions need to be considered as a whole. Most importantly, it is to fulfill our duty in the best way and to carry out municipal services in the best way. In this framework, I am sure that they understand the logic behind the party change.”
“THERE WILL BE NO POLITICAL PRESSURE ON ANYONE”
In the continuation of his statement, Tugay included the following remarks: “This is a transition period. Together we will see whether the work we do from now on will make people feel good or bad. There will be no regression in municipal services in Izmir. We will add new ones. Izmir's own characteristic features are very valuable to me. Every citizen's thought, belief, and freedom are very valuable to me. There will be no situation such as creating political pressure on anyone. We will be all the more successful the more problems we can solve in municipal services and the more of our people we can reach.”