Mansur Yavaş said that those who change their party will answer for it at the ballot box. He answered journalists’ questions at the opening. Ankara Büyükşehir Belediye Mayor Mansur Yavaş answered journalists’ questions at the opening of the Cumhuriyet Yüzme Havuzu ve Spor Kompleksi on Etimesgut Bağlıca Boulevard.
Yavaş was asked about the party changes that came onto the agenda with İzmir Büyükşehir Belediye Mayor Cemil Tugay’s resignation and joining of AK Parti, and with Muğla Büyükşehir Belediye Mayor Ahmet Aras’s resignation. The reasons will come to light in time. Noting that party changes of this intensity have not been seen until now, Yavaş stated that their reasons need to be investigated.
Saying that mayors who change parties are accountable to those who elected them and will answer for it at the ballot box, Yavaş emphasized that he himself has remained independent. He does not make a choice on this matter. Yavaş stated that he does not choose between the CHP and YENİ Parti grassroots and that by taking off his badge, he will continue to serve all of Ankara equally.
Yavaş, who is also the President of the Tarihi Kentler Birliği, said that within the union they carry out harmonious work with mayors of every political view. He said they work in harmony. Recalling that at the first election of the Belediyeler Birliği, the joint administration proposal made by the CHP under Özgür Özel’s leadership to AK Parti and the Cumhur İttifakı was not accepted, Yavaş noted that cooperation is essential to carry the historical heritage into the future.
Why it matters
The debate over mayors switching parties brings back onto the agenda the question of whether the mandate voters gave at the ballot box can be transferred to another party. Yavaş’s statement that the reckoning will take place at the ballot box anchors the debate in the will of the voters and places responsibility directly on those holding office. The reasons behind party switches of this intensity, which came to the fore with the examples of İzmir and Muğla, have not yet come to light, as Yavaş also noted; this remains the fundamental question awaiting an answer before the public. Yavaş’s positioning outside party polarization, while emphasizing that he has taken off his badge, can be read as part of an effort to preserve the promise of equal service to the broad voter base in Ankara. The rejection of the joint administration proposal at the Belediyeler Birliği also shows how difficult it is in practice to establish cross-party cooperation in local governments.
Background
Yavaş is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 3 news items mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated September 29, 2026.