18.07.2026 15:00
Ardahan Governor Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli, who was targeted by criticism in the Turkish Parliament due to the tights he wore while cycling, was dismissed by President Erdogan's decision. Breaking his silence after the decision, Çiçekli said, "Keep pedaling. I am a sailing and rowing athlete. I am a cycling athlete. The clothing on me is sportswear. I do sports in sportswear. The decision is at the discretion of our elders."
The Governor of Ardahan, Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli, who was brought to the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) and became the target of criticism due to the sportswear he wore while cycling, was removed from his post by the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ömer Hilmi Yamlı, the District Governor of Gaziantep Şehitkamil, was appointed in his place.
The 'leggings' debate that started after photos of him cycling in Ardahan resulted in the dismissal of Governor Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli. Breaking his silence after the decision, Çiçekli stated that the clothing he wore was sportswear and cited the legendary governor Recep Yazıcıoğlu as an example.
LEGGINGS DEBATE WAS BROUGHT TO THE TBMM AGENDA
Governor Çiçekli had recently come to the fore with debates over the leggings he wore while cycling. The issue was later brought to the TBMM General Assembly, where CHP Kars Deputy İnan Akgün Alp severely criticized Governor Çiçekli by showing his photo from the podium.
Alp used the following statements in his speech at the parliament podium:
“Four bodyguards in front and behind. He walks among citizens in leggings. There is no such governor. I call on the Minister of Interior; either remove these governors or send them grape leaves.”
DISMISSED GOVERNOR BREAKS SILENCE
Çiçekli, who learned of his dismissal through the decree, evaluated the decision in his statements to BirGün newspaper. Emphasizing that the clothing on him was not leggings but cycling attire, Çiçekli stressed that he practices sports at a professional level:
"Keep pedaling. I am a sailing and rowing athlete. I am a cyclist. The clothing on me is sportswear. I do sports in sportswear. The decision is at the discretion of our elders."
"I am someone who practices various branches of sports near-professionally. I am almost professional. I am a sailing and rowing athlete. I am a cyclist. I do my best to do it at a professional level. The clothing on me is sportswear I use for morning exercise, worn while doing sports. Apart from that, during our normal working hours on weekdays, we do not walk around in this attire. We don’t. We do this sport on weekends, at very early hours. This will be clearly seen. We do sports in sportswear, that is."
"I WILL CONTINUE PEDALING"
Çiçekli responded to the question "What will you do next? Do you currently have a position?" with "Continue pedaling." Çiçekli expressed his passion for sports with these words:
"I am not someone who does sports just for talk, appearance, or image. I rowed in Istanbul, sailed in the Marmara and Aegean, cycled in Ankara and Karaburun. What will I do next? I will do more sports."
REMEMBERED RECEP YAZICIOĞLU
Regarding his dismissal, Çiçekli said, "This decision is at the discretion of our elders. They have deemed it appropriate. May our state and nation prevail," and concluded his statements by remembering the veteran of the profession, the late Governor Recep Yazıcıoğlu:
"There is no need to go into much detail or say anything specific. One of the veterans of our profession, Recep Yazıcıoğlu, was also a elder who faced these and similar accusations while alive. May God have mercy on him abundantly. He is still a source of inspiration for us. A good example. He was a governor who faced very similar, even worse accusations while alive. Now he is remembered with gratitude. We still benefit from his inspiration. He is our greatest source of inspiration."