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This article was originally written for Türkiye Today’s weekly newsletter, Saturday's Wrap-up, in its September 12, 2026 issue. Please make sure you subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here.
There is only one real trend-setter in Turkish politics. He can single-handedly change the political atmosphere, dominate the agenda and make everyone discuss what he wants.
In a recent late-night address this week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan casually dropped the phrase “approaching elections.” Whether this was calculated or a slip of the tongue, the message is clear: the political machinery is accelerating, and the opposition is scrambling to position itself. To be clear, he is running in the next presidential election, even if there is no official confirmation yet.
Along with his election remarks, Erdogan met Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas on Sept. 9, a meeting that drew sharp reactions from Türkiye's opposition camp, and led the mayor to release a lengthy statement laying out where he stands. Ankara mayor matters in Türkiye's domestic politics because he is the rare figure who is able to get votes from conservatives, nationalists, and leftists, having won the last Ankara municipal elections with 60.5% of the vote. He may be the opposition's joint candidate against Erdogan in the approaching elections.
Right now, Yavas is trying to survive, and perhaps quietly conquer, one of the most turbulent political atmospheres in recent memory.
For readers not following the granular daily developments in Ankara’s corridors, some vital context is necessary. Türkiye’s main opposition landscape was recently upended. Following a court order in May 2026 that forced the replacement of the Republican People's Party (CHP) leadership, the historic party fractured. The fallout birthed the "New Party," splitting the opposition’s voter base down the middle.
Amid all of this, Yavas has adopted a doctrine of strict, calculated silence. He needs the voters of both the legacy CHP and the New Party if he intends to mount a viable presidential run, or even if he simply wants to secure another term as Ankara’s mayor, though that now looks like the secondary prize. He has already won it twice.
He is no longer hiding this planned neutrality; it is now his overt public strategy. Everybody knew it anyway. Yavas notably declined to participate in the CHP’s recent anniversary celebrations, yet he also firmly resisted any overtures to join the breakaway New Party. It is a remarkably fine line to walk.
His uncanny sense for political timing is also turning heads.
Consider the arrest of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges—a moment of profound crisis for the opposition. Where was Yavas when the political storm made landfall? Conveniently out of the country, navigating a trip to Taiwan. He was in London when the Turkish court reinstated Kemal Kilicdaroglu as CHP's leader in May, replacing Ozgur Ozel. He was out of the country in both groundbreaking developments.
This week, Yavas’ tightrope act faced its greatest stress test yet. Following the Erdogan-Yavas meeting, backlash from the fractured opposition was immediate and fierce. Accusations of “defection” and “betrayal” began to circulate. Some pro-government media speculated that Yavas might join the governing AK Party. Yavas quickly moved to control the narrative, releasing a comprehensive public statement aimed at extinguishing the rumors.
"My only agenda is Ankara," Yavas declared.
He framed the meeting entirely around municipal necessity, noting that under Türkiye's centralized presidential system, major urban investments—like metro expansions and critical municipal credits—require the President's explicit approval. "If I need to meet with the President to solve a problem for Ankara... I will meet with him today, and I will meet with him tomorrow."
Crucially, Yavas preempted accusations of going behind the opposition’s back by stating that both Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Ozgur Ozel were informed prior to the meeting.
Addressing the political elephant in the room, Yavas was remarkably blunt about his neutrality. Pointing to recent municipal council chaos in other districts, he highlighted that his "balance policy" allowed his administration to win council votes without losing a single defection from either the CHP or the New Party members.
"I see that there is serious anger and resentment among the grassroots supporting both sides," Yavas stated, acknowledging the bitter split.
"In such an environment, I do not find it right to take a side... I especially do not want to contribute to bringing people who support both sides face-to-face over me."
As the spectre of "approaching elections" looms, Mansur Yavas is betting his political future on the idea that competence and quiet pragmatism can bridge a deeply divided opposition. Whether his tightrope will hold under the immense pressure of a full-scale campaign remains the defining question of this electoral cycle.
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