No mayor or council member is transferred just for his black eyebrows and black eyes. The main result of such defections in politics is that voters' faith in politics and the ballot box is eroded. The issue is not just a politician changing parties, but also voters saying "We choose at the ballot box, but what happens in the end?" is the creation of emotion.
When it was said that Cemil Tugay would wear the AKP badge, people thought, "He won't do that much." Because until yesterday, the sentences coming out of his own mouth were known. While even a person's own words can alienate him, those who are ashamed are his friends. Because with alienation, that person's sense of shame also disappears.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has an undisputed signature in Cemil Tugay's arrival to today's political point. It is Kılıçdaroğlu who nominated him, saying "He represents our party well". Criticisms that the candidate selection approach during the Kılıçdaroğlu period was carried out based on CVs and personal evaluations rather than ties with the organization and the base is a separate topic of discussion.
POLITICAL INCONSISTENCY
Today, the political and ethical standards that Tugay set for others in the past have come face to face with his own choice.
Tugay said in 2025, "We are not people who can switch from one party to another whenever we want." He said that he did not find it ethical for a mayor to change parties after taking office with the votes of the party that elected him. He set the standard himself by saying, "If a person leaves the CHP and at the same time resigns from the mayor's office, this is an acceptable personal decision."
Regarding the possibility of switching to AKP, he said, "There is not even a one in a million chance." In another statement, he said, "I am not such a person." At the end of 2025, he spoke even more clearly: "If I leave my party, let it be known that I will also leave the mayor's office on the same day."
He was the one who said on January 29, 2026 that his own world view was incompatible with the AKP's management approach.
Today Cemil Tugay is in AKP. Moreover, he received his badge from the president and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Of course, one's political opinion can change. This has its place in democratic politics. However, applying one's own standards to others and suspending them for oneself is a serious political inconsistency. The change in Tugay's political line is not a small zigzag. He said that he would continue his duty independently when he resigned from CHP on June 18. In July, he announced that he would not join the AKP, that this was a fabrication and that his political line was clear. In August, he started to use more cautious language, saying, "I am not in a position to join a party right now."
'THE GOVERNMENT'S BLESSING TO THE MUNICIPALITY'
Then earthquake risk and lack of resources and authority came to the fore. Of course, it is natural for a mayor to want more authority and resources. Izmir's earthquake risk is also real. It can be argued that municipalities working in harmony with the central government may facilitate some services. But normalizing changing political affiliation in the name of “harmony” reverses the basic logic of democracy.
Because public service is not a favor of the government to the municipality. The duty of the central government is to provide resources and services to all municipalities, regardless of which party they voted for, to the extent required by law and public interest. Otherwise, elections cease to be a democratic mechanism in which citizens reveal their will; It evolves into an order where service distribution turns into political bargaining.
For this reason, the source and authority justification is far from convincing when evaluated together with Tugay's previous statements.
JUDICIAL STICK, VOTER'S FAITH
The allegation that Özgür Özel has made recently about pressure on Tugay and intimidation through the file is a serious allegation that should also be investigated.
If the claim is true, the problem is no longer just Cemil Tugay's personal choice. Then, we are faced with a situation that magnifies the feeling of fear and helplessness within the opposition; A broader political method emerges that gives voters the feeling of "You vote, but nothing changes in the end." Such a possibility should be taken seriously from the perspective of democracy.
The issue of transforming local resources and public facilities into an effective tool on political preferences is also a topic that needs to be discussed.
As a result, Tugay's current choice is in clear contradiction with his past words. Tugay was Kılıçdaroğlu's gift. It happened to Izmir with Ozel's choice. Finally, he took the AKP badge from Erdoğan. What remains to be seen is how the precise sentences he said yesterday will be explained today. Because sometimes the harshest thing you can say to a politician is to put your own words in front of him.
HAMZA KIE
EDUCATOR, AUTHOR
