Ozel Launches Yeni Parti With 91 Lawmakers After Court Ouster From CHP
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jul 24
Ozel Launches Yeni Parti With 91 Lawmakers After Court Ouster From CHP
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jul 24
Summary
Two months after a court removed him as CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel formally registered Yeni Parti with the interior ministry, creating a breakaway force set to become Turkey’s second-largest parliamentary party.
Ninety-one lawmakers are expected to join the new party, leaving the CHP with 44 seats in the 600-member assembly after Kemal Kilicdaroglu returned to lead the old party.
The split followed a May ruling voiding the CHP’s 2023 convention over alleged irregularities; Ozel and allies briefly barricaded party headquarters before security forces forced them out.
The rupture hits the opposition after CHP’s March 2024 local-election breakthrough and the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading potential challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan in 2028.
An IstanPol poll found about 30% would vote for or consider Yeni Parti and another 19% depend on its program, but Ozel still must build organizations in 41 of 81 provinces to qualify for 2028.
Can Turkey’s opposition survive after a court ousted Ozgur Ozel, restored Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and pushed dozens of lawmakers toward a new party?
Is the CHP split mainly about congress irregularities, or a wider struggle over courts, arrests, and who can challenge Erdogan in 2028?
The 2026 Turkish Opposition Split: How the Yeni Parti’s 91-Lawmaker Defection Reshaped Parliament and the Road to 2028
Overview
In 2024, the opposition CHP won historic local elections, sparking anxiety in the ruling AKP and leading to a government crackdown on opposition mayors and figures. This campaign intensified with the arrest and imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, followed by direct executive control over the judiciary. Judicial intervention then annulled the CHP’s leadership, reinstating Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and prompting riot police to enforce the change. In response, Özgür Özel and 90 lawmakers split from the CHP to form Yeni Parti, which immediately became the main opposition in parliament. However, Yeni Parti faces major challenges, including lack of state funding and the need to quickly build grassroots support.