Ankara, Turkey: Deposed Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel on Friday launched a new political party to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, months after a court annulled his election as party chief in a move his supporters described as politically motivated.
Ozel and 90 other lawmakers formally resigned from the CHP before registering the new outfit, named the New Party, with Turkiye's Interior Ministry.
"May it be auspicious for our homeland, our nation, and our party," Ozel said in a video posted on X, showing him signing documents formalising his resignation from Turkiye's oldest political party.
Court ruling triggered split
The political split follows a May ruling by a court of appeal that annulled the 2023 CHP congress election in which Ozel defeated long-time leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Citing alleged irregularities, the court reinstated Kilicdaroglu as party leader, a decision that sparked strong criticism from Ozel's supporters.
Ozel, 51, had succeeded the 77-year-old Kilicdaroglu after 13 years of leadership that many analysts viewed as an ineffective challenge to Erdogan's dominance.
After repeated calls for a fresh leadership election were rejected by Kilicdaroglu, Ozel opted to establish a new political platform.
Opposition alleges wider crackdown
Ozel's supporters argue that his removal is part of a broader campaign against Turkiye's opposition.
Over the past two years, hundreds of elected mayors and officials from CHP-run municipalities have been detained in corruption investigations. Among them is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely regarded as Erdogan's strongest potential electoral challenger.
Imamoglu has been in prison since March last year and faces multiple criminal cases that could result in lengthy prison terms. It remains unclear whether he will join the newly formed party.
The Union government in Ankara has consistently rejected allegations of political interference, maintaining that Turkiye's judiciary operates independently.
New opposition force in Parliament
Under Ozel's leadership, the CHP dealt Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) a significant setback in the 2024 municipal elections.
Following the defection of 91 lawmakers, the New Party is expected to become the country's main opposition force in the 600-member parliament. Erdogan's AKP holds 277 seats, while the CHP's strength has dropped to 44 seats after the split.
The emergence of the New Party marks one of the biggest realignments in Turkish opposition politics in recent years and sets the stage for a fresh challenge to Erdogan's long-standing rule.