Ankara mayor quits in Erdogan purge of local government


  • World
  • Tuesday, 24 Oct 2017

File photo: Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek (C) attends an event as part of his election campaign in Ankara March 18, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ANKARA (Reuters) - The mayor of Ankara said on Monday he will step down this week, the fifth mayor from the ruling party to quit in recent weeks in the face of demands for a purge of local politics by President Tayyip Erdogan.

Melih Gokcek, a staunch Erdogan loyalist who has been mayor of Ankara for 23 years and won five consecutive elections, said on Twitter on Monday that he would leave office on Saturday, after meeting with Erdogan at the presidential palace.

Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Chad prepares to vote in a coup-hit region, wary allies look on
Heatwaves and outages test support for juntas in Chad and Mali
Ethiopia's Amhara militia says resettlement plan 'beats war drum'
You’re surrounded by scammers
China to launch first probe to return samples from Moon's far side
Cybersecurity, deepfakes and the human risk of AI fraud
UK's Labour claim big early win over PM Sunak's Conservatives
AI takes the controls of a fighter jet to test its in-air combat skills
Parched Philippine dam reveals centuries-old town, luring tourists
Stay alert: Quake warning app demand surges in earthquake-rattled Taiwan

Others Also Read