Burcu Köksal, the CHP mayor of Afyonkarahisar, joined the AKP this week. With her addition, the number of mayors who have left the CHP and joined the ruling party since the 2024 elections has reached 17.
Afyon's official name is Afyonkarahisar, but we will refer to it as Afyon in this article.
THE LEFT AND RIGHT IN AFYON
Köksal, 46, served as a CHP member of parliament for three terms. She was elected mayor in 2024. She comes from a CHP family. Afyon is a place where all shades of the right, especially nationalists and conservatives, thrive. So Burcu Köksal was elected with votes from the right.
The right-wing culture in Afyon is like that of other parts of the country. For example, the right in Ankara is similar to the right in Afyon. Right-wing voters in Ankara voted for Mansur Yavaş, and in Afyon for Burcu Köksal.
Afyon's CHP supporters, however, are different. They live in harmony with the nationalist-conservative climate. Seeing this, Köksal ran an aggressive campaign. She stated that she would not allow DEM Party members into the municipality. It's important to note that there isn't a significant Kurdish vote in Afyon. Köksal is also known for her tough stance against immigrants in Afyon.
WINNING OFFICE BY TRANSFERS, NOT ELECTIONS
Since the 2024 elections, the CHP has been counting the days until the next election, when it promises to come to power. Normally, there would be a little less than two years until the election.
Shouldn't mayors stay with a party that will come to power at the ballot box? It seems not. They are leaving the CHP before the election, seeking to come to power through transfers. Meanwhile, the CHP claims that 'the mayors were transferred under threat.'
THE ISSUE OF THE ELECTABLE CANDIDATE
However, that is far from explaining what is happening. It must be said that the issue reflects some of the internal problems of the CHP. Also, since well before the 2023 presidential elections it has been a subject of debate: the 'electable candidate' issue. It came up in the debate about who would be the opposition’s presidential candidate.
The idea of the “electable candidate” also applies to mayors. When you become captivated by the allure of the electable candidate instead of a system, politics for the benefit of the people, and principles, you are giving the green light to a period of transfers.
