Four mayors joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Sept. 10 at a ceremony in Ankara, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented them with party badges.
The ceremony followed a meeting of the party’s Central Decision and Executive Board chaired by Erdoğan.
Those joining were Foça Mayor Saniye Fıçı in İzmir; Akkışla Mayor Mustafa Dursun and Felahiye Mayor Şeref Güleser in Kayseri; and Sungu Mayor Burhan Sayılgan in Muş.
Fıçı, Dursun and Güleser had left the Republican People’s Party (CHP), while Sayılgan came from the New Welfare Party.
Erdoğan also met 18 women mayors from the AKP in Ankara, including Afyonkarahisar Mayor Burcu Köksal, Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu and Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin.
Later, addressing residents in Rize’s Güneysu district, Erdoğan called for continued unity and expressed confidence in the coming elections.
“I reaffirm my belief that, with this unity and solidarity, we will succeed in the coming elections, God willing,” he said.
Erdoğan traveled to Güneysu with his wife, Emine Erdoğan, to spend the weekend in his family’s home province.
