Asia Pacific|A Turkish Governor Was Ousted. Were Bicycling Tights to Blame?

It sounded like a routine transfer of power in northeast Turkey, of regional interest at best.

“In accordance with Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Presidential Decree No. 3, Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, the governor of Ardahan, has been removed from office.”

But the brief announcement from the Turkish president’s office last week did not specify any reason for the dismissal of Mr. Cicekli, who had been appointed in January as the governor of Ardahan, a province of about 90,000 people in northeast Turkey.

And at least some people quickly started speculating that he had been fired because of bicycle pants.

Mr. Cicekli is a bicycle enthusiast who has organized cycling events and who often posts photos and videos of himself cycling. In those images, he is generally wearing the kind of skin-tight leggings and jerseys commonly worn by serious cyclists.

That prompted criticism from political opponents. As reported in local news media, one lawmaker from the opposition Republican People’s Party, Inan Akgun Alp, considered the matter important enough to bring up in parliament.

He called Mr. Cicekli a “TikTok governor,” according to the Hurriyet Daily News, adding: “He walks around in cycling tights with four bodyguards, rides his bicycle all day among citizens. This is not how a governor should act.”