He wanted to encourage his citizens to exercise, but now Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli has lost his job. That’s making waves.
July 23, 2026, 05:04July 23, 2026, 05:04
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
Turkish Governor Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli has been fired after appearing on social media in cycling clothing. He was wearing a red jersey and tight-fitting, long sports leggings. As the British “Telegraph” and Turkish media report, this caused outrage.
Inan Akgün Alp, deputy of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said: “A governor in leggings? That simply doesn’t work. Such politicians should be removed from office – or at least given a fig leaf.” He accused Çiçekli of damaging the office’s reputation.
Şamil Tayyar, MP from the Justice and Development Party, went even further. He accused Çiçekli of diminishing his political reputation by frequently appearing in bicycle clothing: “Neither the citizens nor his own officials will take a governor in leggings seriously,” he said. “He has no authority.”
Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli in cycling clothing: He was fired because of his tight-fitting pants.x
Citizens protest via petition
The governor of Ardahan province has been in office since January; previously he was head of the administration in Karaman province. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan fired him by decree on July 17 following public outcry. This in turn upset citizens. They called for Çiçekli to be returned to office with a petition; 10,000 people signed.
The incident is now making waves internationally. Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Turkey, accused the critic Alp of “supporting the Islamic-conservative agenda.” He expressed solidarity with the governor.