Cemil Tugay joins the AK Party. Here are his first words

Tugay, along with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar, was one of the three names that attracted attention with the establishment of the New Party.

Karalar shared with the public that he would continue politics in CHP even before the party departed.

Yavaş and Tugay refrained from making a clear statement on this issue. The debate about these two names continued in different directions.

While the part of the polemics about Yavaş focuses on the uncertainty of "Will he stay in the CHP or join the New Party?", the question about Tugay is always "Will he move to the AK Party?" It was like.

“HE STRICTLY REJECTED THE ALLEGATIONS”

The situation was last asked to New Party Chairman Özgür Özel on August 2, 2026.

Reminding that Tugay resigned from the CHP as a reaction to the absolute nullity decision of the appeal, Özel continued:

"Cemil Bey resigned from the CHP as a reaction to the nullity. He said, 'We need to become a party as soon as possible.' He flatly rejected the claims that he would join the AK Party. If such a thing were to come true, how would he look at the faces of the people in Izmir, how would he look at our faces, his family? This would be a new trauma before history.

We get over that trauma while celebrating on election night, but it stays in some people's lives for a lifetime. The last time I spoke was two or three weeks ago. He said, 'Someone should take the burden off your back, everyone is doing it.' Saying 'Are you going to switch to the AK Party' is not a question to ask the Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, I would not consider it appropriate for me or him. But there are people who come and go and say this. (…)"

Cemil Tugay also said in his statement on August 13 that "there is no possibility of switching to a party at the moment."

"I will remain independent, I have said many times that I will remain independent, but being talked about every day actually makes me sad. Of course, I will chart a path for myself." Tugay said and continued:

I'm waiting for things to settle because as of right now I'm a local administrator. If I were a member of parliament, I might speak differently, but I have a responsibility for a city. That's why I'm waiting for this process calmly."

HE MEETS WITH PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN ON 30 SEPTEMBER

The brigade was accepted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on September 30.

Cemil Tugay met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on September 30. Following the closed-door meeting, Tugay said on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account that important issues on Izmir's agenda were on the table and that they gave information about projects for the future of the city.