Erdoğan’s meeting with Ankara mayor ‘only natural’: AKP spokesman

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş on September 9, 2026.

Addressing political speculation surrounding Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş’s recent meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman called the talks “only natural” and focused solely on capital municipal projects.

“It is a perfectly natural meeting. Many mayors request appointments from our president, and he meets them at his own discretion, depending on the availability of his schedule,” AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik told reporters on Sept. 10.

The unexpected meeting between Erdoğan and Yavaş on Sept. 9 sparked a political debate, particularly among opposition parties. At the center of the debate was whether Yavaş, who is among the presidential candidates, would switch parties.

Yavaş denied all the allegations, clarifying that his meeting with Erdoğan focused strictly on Ankara’s municipal projects.

Çelik confirmed that the meeting at the presidential complex focused on Ankara, especially after the city gained an important reputation for successfully hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in July.

“Since our president also comes from a mayoral background, he is always highly sensitive about projects that will move cities forward, resolve urban infrastructure issues and implement initiatives aimed at raising the standards of city life,” Çelik stated.

The spokesman recalled that Ankara is the capital city and it is only natural for Erdoğan to take care of the city.

Yavaş, in a statement after the meeting, said that he expressed his gratitude for Erdoğan’s support and contributions to the investments as well as their commitment to holding the NATO Summit in
Ankara.

“We also shared our evaluations regarding the ongoing projects conducted by the Ankara Municipality and the investments we plan to implement in the upcoming period,” he said.