Turkey's ruling party gains control of Izmir as mayor defects
Turkey's ruling AKP has taken control of Izmir, the country's third-largest city and long-time opposition stronghold, after its mayor joined President Erdogan's party.
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has secured control of Izmir, the country's third-largest city, following the decision of its mayor to defect from the opposition.
The political shift gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party authority over a long-standing secular opposition stronghold that it had failed to capture in municipal elections throughout its more than two decades in power. The mayor's decision to join the AKP hands the ruling party leadership of the municipality without an electoral contest, marking a major shift in Turkish local governance.
Sources: Bloomberg