The Presidential Press Office on Friday denied media reports that Turkish President and Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had met on Thursday with both Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek and Balıkesir Mayor Ahmet Edip Uğur, according to the state-run TRT Haber news website.
“Claims about meetings and talks that President Erdoğan held [with the two mayors] are not true,” the press office said, although acknowledging that the president did meet with Gökçek. “Mr. President had a talk yesterday [Thursday] with Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek at the presidential palace, but he [Erdoğan] did not have any meeting with Balıkesir Mayor Edip Uğur.”
Ankara Mayor Gökçek was reportedly asked to resign by President Erdoğan.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım denied claims about Gökçek’s resignation, calling it “just rumors.”
Following the meeting Gökçek, who has been mayor of Ankara since 1994, claimed on Twitter that he had presented his plans for a museum to be built across from the presidential palace.