Turgut Altınok named AKP's mayoral candidate for Ankara

Turgut Altınok, the current mayor of Ankara's Keçiören district, has been officially unveiled as the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) metropolitan mayoral candidate for the capital.

The announcement came today as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan revealed the AKP's candidates for 48 cities, including 17 metropolitan areas.

At 62 years old, Altınok has a political history that includes being elected as the mayor of Keçiören from both the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Virtue Party.

Meanwhile, Hamza Dağ has been declared the AKP's candidate for the western İzmir city. The 44-year-old, who currently serves as the party's deputy chairman in charge of publicity and media, has been a member of the AKP's central decision-making and executive board since 2014.

"Our goal is to win back the municipalities that are in the hands of the AKP and the People's Alliance with an overwhelming majority and to introduce real municipalism to the municipalities in the hands of the opposition," Erdoğan said during the announcement event in Ankara.

The AKP has now revealed its candidates in all provinces, with the exception of seven, where it will extend support to its ruling alliance partner MHP. The president also revealed that starting Jan. 20, district candidates would be announced, beginning with Istanbul.

"We have never been among those who hide behind various symbols to protect their seats even though they have never given anything to the cities," Erdoğan said. "Elections are won in the field before the ballot box, and the way to win in the field is to win the election in the hearts."

Erdoğan said his party will release its election manifesto on Jan. 30.

In addition, four of the announced metropolitan...