Özgür Özel Launches New Party, Eyeing 2028 Challenge to Erdoğan
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Jul 21
Özgür Özel Launches New Party, Eyeing 2028 Challenge to Erdoğan
3 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Jul 21
Summary
Özgür Özel said his still unnamed party could be founded as soon as Wednesday and quickly become parliament’s largest opposition group if CHP lawmakers defect.
135 CHP seats give the plan immediate weight after a May court order removed Özel as party leader and restored Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, a move critics say was meant to weaken the opposition.
Recent polls suggest the new party would beat Erdoğan’s AKP if an election were held now, building on Özel’s profile after the opposition’s strong 2024 municipal-election win.
Erdoğan has ruled for more than 23 years, but analysts say Özel now faces a parallel risk: corruption cases could be assembled against him, potentially threatening his parliamentary immunity before the 2028 vote.
Will splitting Turkey's opposition hand Erdogan another victory, or create his strongest challenger yet?
Is this judicial intervention a crackdown, or a move to build a political system that will outlast Erdogan?
The 2026 CHP Leadership Crisis and the Rise of Özgür Özel: Implications for Turkey’s Opposition and Democracy
Overview
In July 2026, after deep internal disagreements and a failed push for change within the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel made a major announcement and began forming a new political party. This move followed his split from the CHP leadership, driven by his long-standing reformist vision and confidence in his support base. The new party’s foundation is expected to reflect this reformist spirit, aiming to unite those who backed his call for change. Özel’s actions mark a turning point in Turkey’s opposition, signaling a fresh challenge to the established political order.