ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A cycling-enthusiast governor rode into an unexpected political storm in Turkey when he found himself sacked after photos of him in snug cycling shorts went viral. He has since also become the center of a campaign pressing for his return to office amid an outpouring of affection.
Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, the governor of Ardahan province in eastern Turkey, was removed from his post on July 17 by a presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While no reason was given for his dismissal, it came after some Turkish politicians criticized him for wearing cycling tights during a public event promoting the sport and for posting the photos on social media.
Inan Akgun Alp, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, accused Cicekli of allegedly prioritizing social media over official duties, adding the tight attire was inappropriate for a governor.
“He goes around in tights, spends all day cycling, with bodyguards in front of him, cycling in tights until the evening,” the T-24 news website quoted Alp as saying during a parliamentary debate last week. “A governor cannot wander around the city center like this.”
Samil Tayyar, a former legislator from Erdogan’s ruling party, which has roots in Turkey’s Islamic movement, said the attire was contrary to cultural norms, especially in a conservative, traditional province like Ardahan. He argued that other politicians wore sweatpants while cycling.
“People can wear whatever they want in their private lives, but a governor cannot visit the public in tights while on duty; it does not align with the seriousness of the state. In a traditional social setting like Ardahan, it is completely unacceptable,” Tayyar wrote on X.
Cicekli, who was appointed governor in January by Erdogan, defended himself by arguing that what he wore was normal cycling attire.
“(We will) keep pedaling. I am an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The clothes I’m wearing are sportswear,” T-24 quoted him as saying.
A petition campaign to try and get him reinstated has gathered more than 10,000 signatures, with supporters arguing that the governor was engaged in important work in Ardahan, promoting sports, youth activities and bicycle tourism, the opposition-leaning Halk TV reported.
In an emotional farewell to his supporters in Ardahan on Wednesday, Cicekli said: “I believe that I have not let down those who vouched for me and stood by me throughout my journey until now. I believe that this is the greatest honor of all.”
As he left Ardahan, a province that borders both Armenia and Georgia, local cyclists accompanied his vehicle to send him off as a show of support, Halk TV reported.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a member of the European Parliament from Spain who serves as the rapporteur on Turkey, expressed support for Cicekli and suggested Alp was promoting the ruling party’s “Islamist conservative agenda.”
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Associated Press reporter Ayse Wieting in Istanbul contributed to this report.
