Türkiye: Governor dismissed for wearing tight cycling shorts

A politician was sacked after going viral for wearing a cycling outfit that was too tight.

Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, the governor of Ardahan province in eastern Turkey, has been dismissed from his post by a presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

This politician, a cycling enthusiast, was photographed in tight-fitting lycra shorts and the pictures went viral.

Shortly afterwards, he was dismissed from his position.

Although no official reason has been given for his dismissal, it comes after several Turkish politicians criticized him for wearing cycling tights at a public event promoting sport and for posting these photos on social media.

Inan Akgun Alp, a member of the Republican People's Party (the main opposition party), accused Cicekli of putting social media before his official duties, adding that the tight-fitting outfit was inappropriate for a governor.

"He walks around in tights, spends all day cycling, preceded by his bodyguards, and pedals in tights until evening," Alp said during a parliamentary debate last week, according to the news site T-24.

"A governor can't just stroll around the city center like that."

Showing a photo to the crowd at a rally, Alp continued: "Such governors are unacceptable. Either you remove them from office, or at least send them fig leaves to carry."

Samil Tayyar, a former member of parliament from Erdogan's ruling party (a party with roots in the Turkish Islamist movement), stated that this attire went against cultural norms, particularly in a traditional and conservative province like Ardahan. He argued that other politicians wore sweatpants while cycling.

“In their private lives, people can wear what they want, but a governor cannot appear before the public in tights while performing his duties; this is not in keeping with the dignity of the state. In a traditional social environment like Ardahan, this is totally unacceptable,” Tayyar wrote on X.

Cicekli, appointed governor in January by Erdogan, defended himself by claiming that his outfit was perfectly normal cycling equipment.

“(We will) continue to pedal. I am an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The clothes I wear are sportswear,” reported the media outlet T-24.

Since then, Cicekli has become the center of a campaign demanding his return to power.

A petition seeking his reinstatement has gathered over 10,000 signatures. His supporters point out that the governor was doing important work in Ardahan by promoting sports, youth activities, and cycling tourism, according to Halk TV, a channel close to the opposition.

During an emotional farewell to his supporters in Ardahan on Wednesday, July 22, Cicekli said: "I believe I have not disappointed those who vouched for me and supported me throughout my journey so far. I believe this is the greatest honor there is."

Nacho Sánchez Amor, Spanish Member of the European Parliament and rapporteur on Turkey, expressed his support for Cicekli and suggested that Alp was playing into the hands of the ruling party’s “Islamist-conservative agenda”.