Turkish governor is sacked after wearing Lycra cycling tights in social media posts

A Turkish governor has been fired after sharing videos and images of himself on social media wearing Lycra.

The governor of Ardahan province, Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli, was dismissed on July 17 without reason following a decree signed by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and was replaced by Ömer Hilmi Yamlı.

Çiçekli had drawn recent criticism from fellow politicians who had reprimanded him for 'spending all day creating social media content' in recent months and 'wearing cycling tights all day.'

İnan Akgün Alp, MP for the Republican People's Party, said: 'A governor in leggings? That simply won't do. Such governors should be removed from office – or at least issued a fig leaf.'

He also accused Çiçekli of 'abandoning the seriousness and dignity of state office'.

Şamil Tayyar, deputy for the Justice and Development Party, accused Çiçekli of undermining his status as a politician by frequently appearing in cycling gear: 'Neither citizens nor his own civil servants will take a governor in leggings seriously,' he said, adding: 'He has no authority.' 

The remarks came as images on social media showed the governor sporting black cycling tights and a red fitted top as he rode on his bike. 

Governor Çiçekli had entered the civil administration in 2004 and was appointed governor of Ardahan in January. He held the role until his dismissal last week. 

But now, a petition has been launched demanding his reinstatement. 

'The decision to remove Ardahan Governor Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli from his post has caused sadness and concern among many citizens who care about the future of our province,' the petition said, adding that it 'has no political aims'. 

It also said that Çiçekli, a keen cyclist, had 'accomplished significant work' in sport and youth development, noting: 'Sports activities for young people have increased, and young people's habits of participating in sports have been developed.'

The petition has already garnered 10,000 signatures. 

Çiçekli has since defended his attire, saying: 'The clothes I'm wearing are sports clothes.'

He added: 'Actually, sometimes you need to forget. Rather than living through titles and labels, it's good to know you're a human being and remain one.

'The things that make you yourself, such as sports, cycling and rowing, aren't bad things. They're things that everyone, at every age, should be doing.'