Turkish PM announces Gokcek as Ankara mayoral candidate

Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, whose candidacy was in limbo, has held the office since 1994 and had said he wanted to run for a fourth term. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had long been in discussion with members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) before making the announcement of the Ankara candidate.

 

Erdogan also announced the party's candidates for the major provinces of southeastern Gaziantep and eastern Erzurum, nominating the current mayors Asım Guzelbey and Ahmet Kucukler to run for another term.

 

Observers had earlier said that Gokcek may  run as an independent or become a candidate of another conservative party if not selected as the AKP's preferred nomination, a development which would have likely divided the vote and rendered it very difficult for the AKP to win the Ankara seat.

 

Gokcek had lost ground due to water cuts at the peak of summer and recent intensified corruption allegations against him.

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Gokcek's aggressive character which was seen as a real headache for the AKP leadership was another complicating factor according to observers.