Özgür Özel resigns from the Republican People's Party and decides to form a new party
Ozgur Ozel, who was ousted from the leadership of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) by a Turkish court, announced his formal resignation from the party and his intention to form a new political party, amid a legal campaign that has been targeting opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for nearly two years.
This anticipated move represents the latest challenge to the CHP, the party founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, more than a century ago. Most of the CHP’s voters and its members of parliament are expected to join Ozel in the new party, whose name has not yet been disclosed, following a court ruling in May that stripped him of his position as party chairman by invalidating the party’s 2023 congress.
In a fiery speech before parliament, Ozel stated that his team’s resignation from the CHP did not necessarily signify submission to political pressure, but rather marked the beginning of a new opposition approach against Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for over two decades. Addressing more than 80 CHP MPs, Ozel said, “Today, we stand on the threshold of a sad, inevitable, and unavoidable farewell. Nevertheless, we wish to share with the people our hope for a new beginning.”
In May, a court annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress, which had elected Ozel as party chairman, citing irregularities, and ordered the return of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the party’s former leader who lost to Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election, to resume leadership of the party. Ozel and critics described the ruling as a politically motivated “coup” within the context of an unprecedented legal campaign against the CHP, during which Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan’s main political rival, was arrested last year.
The government denies these allegations, emphasizing the independence of the judiciary. However, the crackdown has unsettled financial markets and raised concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. The opposition crisis could enhance Erdogan’s chances of extending his rule in the NATO member country, with elections scheduled to be held by 2028. However, analysts warn that it could complicate his position before that date if the government seeks to exploit the internal conflict within the CHP.
