'One of us': CHP mayor rides nationalist support in Afyon

Turkish flags cover the historical center of Afyon. © All photos by Gonca Tokyol

AFYON – Beneath the mid-September sun, 67-year-old Ali Çelik watched a speech by Burcu Köksal, the new mayor of Afyonkarahisar, a small city that straddles Turkey’s Aegean region and the Anatolian interior.

The speech was part of the opening ceremony for an education center built in memory of Şenay Aybüke Yalçın, a teacher who was killed in a 2017 terror attack. As she spoke, Mayor Köksal placed clear emphasis on nationalist rhetoric, tying up her address with a battle cry: "We'll reclaim this country!"

The words put a big smile on Çelik's face.

"My whole life, I was an MHP supporter," he said before defining himself as "eski MHP'li", or a former supporter of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

"This time, I voted for her,” he continued. “And when I hear her words, I feel happy with my decision. I feel like I did something good for the country."

Çelik, a pensioner who takes care of his disabled daughter, is one of the thousands of voters who switched parties during the 2024 local elections, helping the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) clinch a surprise victory in Afyon.

The city was previously controlled by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which was also founded here in 2001. Long known for its nationalist character, Afyon had never elected a CHP candidate in local elections until this year.

Köksal, a 44-year-old lawyer, dominated the ballot box in March, collecting more votes than the sum of her rivals. Now, six months into her mayorship, many residents told Turkey recap they were happy with Köksal's performance, and that the local election votes she claimed could translate into general election votes for the CHP in the future.

“They chose me, and I’m trying to be worthy of their support,” Köksal told Turkey recap.

Speaking shortly after her speech, she pointed towards the elderly women and men who watched her speech with enthusiasm. Many of them were waving Turkish flags they had brought to the event.

“In Afyon, we love our country, and we’ll do whatever is necessary to protect it,” Köksal added.

Burcu Köksal (center) was the only female politician in the protocol area during the opening ceremony.

‘We don't feel distant from her’