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Opposition stronghold mayor joins Erdoğan's AKP amid wave of arrests

İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay has joined President Erdoğan's AKP after leaving the opposition CHP in June. The western Turkish city had been a CHP stronghold since 2004. Özgür Özel, leader of the New Party, which broke away from the CHP, said Tugay had switched "under threat".

October 07, 2026 at 11:12

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