Lycra debate in Turkey: Governor sacked over cycling shorts

​In Turkey, modern and traditional values are clearly at odds with one another. This has recently come to the fore in a dispute over Lycra cycling shorts. The controversy was sparked by an appearance in the Turkish Parliament in early July by MP İnan Akgün Alp of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Alp criticised Governor Çiçekli for spending his time producing social media content whilst wearing “cycling tights” – behaviour he claimed was incompatible with the “dignity of the office”. He called on the government to remove the governor from office.

Sacked for wearing tight cycling shorts?

Çiçekli is an active road cyclist and had shared videos on social media of his training rides and his appearance at a local cycling festival. In these, he can be seen wearing black bib shorts and a cycling jersey. In some of the videos, he can still be seen wearing long leg warmers. He has himself taken part in cycle marathons in Turkey and wanted to promote cycle tourism in his province. This year, he was a co-organiser of the three-day Ardahan Bicycle Festival. The governor joined the rides on his road bike, wearing standard cycling shorts. He could not understand the criticism from his political opponents. “The outfit I’m wearing is sportswear that I wear when doing sport,” he told the daily newspaper Hürriyett. He was dismissed on the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a few days after the debate flared up. No official reason was given for the dismissal – but political observers saw the timing, coinciding with the discussion about his appearances in cycling kit, as no coincidence. When asked what he planned to do following his dismissal, the 50-year-old former governor told Hürriyett: “From now on, I’ll be doing more sport.”

Petition with over 10,000 signatures

The dismissal met with opposition from the public. Just one day after the decree was issued, an online petition entitled “Ardahan Governor Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli should remain in office” was launched on Change.org, gathering over 10,000 signatures within a few days. The petition expressly emphasises that it does not pursue any political aims and highlights Çiçekli’s contributions to the province. According to the petition, during his term of office – he had only been Governor of Ardahan since January 2026 – Çiçekli contributed to the development of sport in the region: Participation by young people in sporting activities has risen by 30 per cent, and the growing interest in cycling has led to the planning and construction of cycle paths. Çiçekli had repeatedly shared videos of his cycling tours in the region on social media and organised cycling events that attracted large numbers of participants. On Lake Çıldır, he also documented rowing activities and spoke of the “unifying power of sport”. Ardahan is one of Turkey’s poorest provinces, with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. “Ardahan’s newly gained momentum for development must be maintained,” the petition concludes.