Is he too sexy for shorts? A lycra-wearing politician has been sacked after going viral for wearing too-tight cycling gear.
Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, the governor of Ardahan province in eastern Turkey, was dismissed from his post by a presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The bike-crazy politician plunged headlong into an unexpected political maelstrom after pictures of him in comfortable cycling shorts went viral.
Since then he has also become the center of a campaign seeking his return to office amid an outpouring of love.
While no reason was given for his dismissal, it came after several Turkish politicians criticized him for wearing cycling tights during a public event promoting the sport and for posting photos on social media.
Inan Akgun Alp, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, accused Cicekli of prioritizing social media over official duties, adding that tight clothing was inappropriate for a governor.
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“He goes around in tights, spends all day cycling, with bodyguards in front, walking in tights until the evening,” news website T-24 quoted Alp as saying during a parliamentary debate last week. “A governor can’t wander downtown like that.”
Showing a photo to a crowd at a rally, Alp continued: ‘Such governors are unacceptable. Either remove these governors or at least send them fig leaves to wear.’
Samil Tayyar, a former lawmaker from Erdogan’s ruling party, which has roots in Turkey’s Islamist movement, said the dress was against cultural norms, especially in a traditionally conservative province like Ardahan. He argued that other politicians wore sweatpants while cycling.
“People can wear whatever they want in their private lives, but a governor cannot visit the public in tights while on duty; it does not match the seriousness of the state. In a traditional social environment like Ardahan, it is completely unacceptable,” Tayyar wrote in X.
Cicekli, who was appointed governor in January by Erdogan, defended himself by arguing that what he was wearing was normal cycling clothing.
(We will continue to pedal. I am an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The clothes I am wearing are sports”, said T-24.
A petition campaign to try to reinstate him has garnered more than 10,000 signatures, with supporters arguing that the governor was busy with important work. JOBS in Ardahan, promoting sports, youth activities and bicycle tourism, opposition-leaning Halk TV reported.
In an emotional farewell to his supporters in Ardahan on Wednesday, Cicekli said: “I believe I have not disappointed those who vouched for me and stood by me throughout my journey so far. I believe this is the greatest honor of all.’
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a member of the European PARLIAMENT BY Spain who serves as the rapporteur for Turkey, expressed support for Cicekli and suggested that Alp was promoting the ruling party’s “conservative Islamic agenda”.
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