CHP’s Yavaş announces bid for re-election as Ankara mayor

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, from the main opposition CHP, has announced that he will run again for the local elections to be held on March 31, 2024 in the capital province.

Thursday August 31 2023 01:58 pm

Duvar English

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on Aug. 30 announced that he would run again for the mayoral elections to be held on 31 March 2024 in the capital province.

Speaking at the August 30 Victory Day Celebration event held in Ankara, Yavaş told the people of Ankara “I want to be with you for another five years,” ANKA News Agency reported.

“I will continue to be the mayor of everyone if I get the chance. As in this period, I will continue to preside without a badge, as befits a statesman,” Yavaş said.

“We do not have the right to relive the trauma experienced in Ankara for 25 years (because of previous mayors). If God permits, if you support us, I want to enter the elections and hopefully be with you for another five years. Are you ready to rule Ankara together for another five years, with fairness and justice?,” he added.

Ankara Municipality was ruled by the mayors of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) or its predecessor parties for 25 years before Mansur Yavaş.

Yavaş became the Ankara Mayor in the local elections held in 2019 by gathering 50.93 percent of the votes, beating AKP's candidate Mehmet Özhaseki who received 47.12 percent of the votes.

The CHP’s alliance partner İYİ (Good) Party, the AKP’s alliance partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) did not field any candidates for Ankara mayorship in 2019.