Özlem Çerçioğlu, the long-serving mayor of Aydın and prominent member of Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), resigned from the party on Thursday, citing irreconcilable differences with its leadership. In a public statement, Çerçioğlu declared she was “no longer on the same path as the CHP,” accusing the party of “anti-democratic practices” that hindered effective governance. Hours later, she joined President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) at a high-profile ceremony marking its 24th anniversary, alongside three district mayors from Aydın who also defected.
CHP leader Özgür Özel immediately alleged that Çerçioğlu’s defection resulted from AKP threats to prosecute her over municipal contracts linked to businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş, a figure central to corruption investigations targeting opposition figures. “They told her: ‘You worked with Aktaş. Either I’ll put you in jail, or you join my party,’” Özel asserted. AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazici dismissed the claims as “completely untrue,” while Çerçioğlu insisted she feared no investigation and acted on principle.
The defection coincides with a sweeping crackdown on the CHP, which has seen 17 of its mayors jailed, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s chief political rival on charges of terrorism links and corruption. Since January, hundreds of CHP officials have been detained in raids targeting municipalities. Critics argue these investigations disproportionately focus on opposition strongholds, noting AKP-linked entities also contracted with Aktaş’s firms yet faced no consequences.
In Aydın, where Çerçioğlu was reelected in 2024 with 50.5% of the vote, CHP members staged symbolic protests, leaving high heels outside city hall to rebuke her nickname “Topuklu Efe” (High-Heeled Efe). Senior CHP figures condemned her move as “betrayal,” with Deputy Chairman Ensar Aytekin vowing: “We will never forget those who resisted alongside us, nor those who betrayed”. The defection follows a pattern of AKP consolidating control over municipalities; five CHP-led cities have already been seized by authorities, with Aydın representing a sixth through “free will” rather than judicial intervention.