Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to dismiss several ministers in the government after the Eid al-Fitr holiday following the defeat in local municipal elections, according to the Turkish channel Sözcü TV. Earlier, the newspaper "Hürriyet" reported Erdogan's intention to make a number of changes within the cabinet and the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after the election loss.
Noted opposition journalist Fatih Portakal stated that three or four ministers and some deputy heads of the ruling party will be dismissed. He added, "Let me tell you the names of those who will leave; the head of the Istanbul Provincial Organization and the head of the Ankara Provincial Organization will be dismissed after the holiday. Write this down: Hakan Khan Özkan and Osman Nuri Kabak Tepe, one in Ankara and the other in Istanbul. Erdogan will dismiss these two individuals after the holiday in the coming days."
Previously, Erdogan held a meeting with the leadership of the AKP, stating that "the party failed to achieve the desired results in the municipal elections due to shortcomings on the ground, and the results will be analyzed."
The repercussions of the decline of the ruling AKP in the earlier municipal elections are becoming apparent, as Turkish media revealed the possibility of the party dismissing officials following its failure to regain the mayorships of Istanbul and the capital Ankara. Turkish websites leaked potential news about the AKP ousting its deputy chairman and the head of local governments within the ruling party after losing the recent municipal elections held last Sunday, which showed the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party, advancing in various provinces across the country, especially in major areas like Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir.
Reports have surfaced about expected resignations in the ruling party, led by Erdogan, in light of the party's decline in the recent municipal elections and its inability to reclaim the mayoralties of Ankara and Istanbul. The AKP has lost control of Istanbul's mayorship for another five years after Ekrem İmamoğlu from the CHP managed to oust the ruling party's candidate, former Minister Murat Kurum, in the previous local elections. İmamoğlu has strengthened his political position as a potential candidate in the presidential elections expected in Turkey in 2028, especially since the current president began his political career as the mayor of Istanbul before gradually rising through positions over the past two decades.
