16.10.2026 14:50
AK Party Secretary General and Izmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan reacted to New Party Chairman Özgür Özel over his remarks directed at Mayor of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Cemil Tugay, who joined the AK Party. Describing Özel as an “enemy of Izmir,” İnan said, “Izmir has not been, and will not be, a city where you can negotiate bribes and take it hostage for your political calculations!” Özel had said about Tugay on NOW TV, “If I don’t make him pay dearly, I have no honor.”
A response came from the AK Party to New Party Chairman Özgür Özel’s remarks targeting Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, who resigned from the CHP and joined the AK Party. AK Party Secretary-General Eyyüp Kadir İnan criticized Özel in a post made from his social media account.
“IF I DON’T MAKE HIM PAY THROUGH THE NOSE, I AM DISHONORABLE”
Özgür Özel answered questions about Cemil Tugay, who resigned from the CHP and joined the AK Party, on the Çalar Saat program he appeared on NOW TV on the morning of October 16. Özel said, “I feel sick to my stomach, my hair stands on end. Let there be these general elections and a change of power. I know with what motive he went there. If I don’t call him to account for that thoroughly with the same motive and make him pay through the nose, I am dishonorable.”
“WHO LOOKS AT IZMIR AS BOOTY”
AK Party Secretary-General and Izmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan, reacting to Özel’s remarks on his X account, accused Özel of seeing Izmir as a “right of conquest.” İnan said, “Özgür Özel, the enemy of Izmir who says Izmir is my ‘right of conquest’ and looks at Izmir as booty… Don’t make us have you explain whom you nominated where, with what ‘motives’ and for what accounts!”
“IZMIR IS NOT YOUR DEEDED PROPERTY”
Claiming that Özel was trying to hold Izmir hostage to his political calculations, İnan said, “Izmir has not been, and will not be, a city where you can bargain over bribes and hold hostage to your political calculations! You cannot see this city as your deeded property, or its mayors as your orderlies. You cannot establish personal tutelage over the will of the people of Izmir!”
“MAYORS ARE FED UP WITH HIS ILLEGITIMATE DEMANDS”
Arguing that mayors were fed up with Özel’s “unlawful, illegitimate demands,” İnan wrote, “Stop that ugly tone and empty threats targeting our mayors! Take that filthy mouth and your empty threats off our mayors!” Stating that Tugay was working to solve Izmir’s accumulated problems, İnan included the statements, “Just because your political calculation has been upset, you cannot upset Izmir’s calculation. You will not be able to prevent service from coming to Izmir, investment from coming, and this city from attaining the opportunities it deserves!”
“YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED AS AN ENEMY OF IZMIR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”
İnan concluded his post with the words, “Izmir will not forget you or the wrongs you have done to Izmir! With this hostile attitude toward Izmir, you will be remembered as an ‘enemy of Izmir’ for the rest of your life!”
TUGAY JOINED THE AK PARTY ON OCTOBER 7
Cemil Tugay, who was elected Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor from the CHP in the March 31, 2024 local elections, resigned from the CHP on June 18, 2026, after Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returned to the CHP Chairmanship with an “absolute nullity” ruling. Tugay, who continued his duty as an independent, joined the AK Party on October 7, and President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned on his badge. Tugay, regarding claims about his party switch, had responded, “I was not threatened; I changed parties because I thought it was for Izmir’s good.”