Is he too sexy for his shorts? A lycra-clad 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 faraway from his post by a presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The cycling mad politician rode headfirst into an unexpected political maelstrom after photos of him in snug cycling shorts went viral.
He has since also turn out to be the centre of a campaign pressing for his return to office amid an outpouring of affection.
While no reason was given for his dismissal, it got here after some Turkish politicians criticised him for wearing cycling tights during a public event promoting the game and for posting the photos on social media.
Inan Akgun Alp, a member of the primary opposition Republican People’s Party, accused Cicekli of allegedly prioritising social media over official duties, adding the tight attire was inappropriate for a governor.
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‘He goes around in tights, spends all day cycling, with bodyguards in front of him, cycling in tights until the evening,’ the T-24 news website quoted Alp as saying during a parliamentary debate last week. ‘A governor cannot wander around the town centre like this.’
Showing an image to a crowd at a rally, Alp continued: ‘Such governors are unacceptable. Either remove these governors or at the very least send them fig leaves to wear.’
Samil Tayyar, a former legislator from Erdogan’s ruling party, which has roots in Turkey’s Islamic movement, said the apparel was contrary to cultural norms, especially in a conservative, traditional province like Ardahan. He argued that other politicians wore sweatpants while cycling.
‘People can wear whatever they need of their private lives, but a governor cannot visit the general public in tights while on duty; it doesn’t align with the seriousness of the state. In a conventional social setting like Ardahan, it is totally unacceptable,’ Tayyar wrote on X.
Cicekli, who was appointed governor in January by Erdogan, defended himself by arguing that what he wore was normal cycling attire.
‘(We’ll) keep pedaling. I’m an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The garments I’m wearing are sportswear,’ T-24 quoted him as saying.
A petition campaign to try to get him reinstated has gathered greater than 10,000 signatures, with supporters arguing that the governor was engaged in vital work in Ardahan, promoting sports, youth activities and bicycle tourism, the opposition-leaning Halk TV reported.
In an emotional farewell to his supporters in Ardahan on Wednesday, Cicekli said: ‘I imagine that I actually have not let down those that vouched for me and stood by me throughout my journey until now. I imagine that that is the best honor of all.’
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a member of the European Parliament from Spain who serves because the rapporteur on Turkey, expressed support for Cicekli and suggested Alp was promoting the ruling party’s ‘Islamist conservative agenda.’
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