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Purge of Turkish mayors could hit opposition strongholds

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says legal action could be taken against more mayors if their political parties do not "solve problems themselves."
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends a Republic Day ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to mark the republic's anniversary in Ankara, Turkey, October 29, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC19B620D4E0

The resignation of Ankara’s eccentric mayor capped weeks of speculation and more city leaders are thought to be on their way out, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now suggesting the purge could spread to municipalities controlled by the main opposition party.

Ankara’s Melih Gokcek is one of six mayors from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) forced out by Erdogan since September as the president seeks to combat what he calls “fatigue” within the party. Previously, the government forcibly removed almost all of the 102 mayors belonging to the pro-Kurdish opposition, appointing unelected administrators in their stead.

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