The mayor of Izmir, Turkey, Cemil Tugay, has switched allegiance from the Republican People's Party (CHP) to President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP). This move grants the AKP control of Izmir’s mayoralty, a significant victory as the party has never previously won the city through elections. Tugay, who was elected as a CHP candidate in March 2024 with 49% of the vote, officially joined the AKP at a ceremony in Ankara led by President Erdogan. Prior to Tugay’s win, the AKP candidate received 37% of the vote in the same election. Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, is known as a stronghold of secular opposition, making this defection a notable shift in the country's political dynamics. His resignation from the CHP occurred in June, paving the way for this formal transition.