Izmir mayor defects from opposition to join Erdogan's AK Party

Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay announced on Wednesday that he has left Turkey's opposition and joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The announcement came during a party meeting in Ankara, where Tugay pledged to work for the advancement of Izmir, a city known as an opposition stronghold, according to Al Arabiya.

Erdogan welcomed Tugay into the ruling party during the AK Party's parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, greeting him in a celebratory atmosphere broadcast live on television.