CHP battles Yeni Parti over social media accounts and party assets

The Republican People's Party (CHP) announced a series of legal actions against the recently formed Yeni Parti, alleging that former CHP officials transferred the party’s official social‑media accounts to the new organization and altered their names. CHP leaders also claimed that physical party assets, including demirbaş and inventory items, were taken or moved without authorization, prompting warnings of criminal proceedings under Turkey’s penal code.

CHP Istanbul provincial chairman Gürsel Tekin led the accusations, which were condemned by the DİSK Basın‑İş trade union that denounced Tekin’s remarks targeting journalists as an attack on press freedom. Yeni Parti MP Burhanettin Bulut responded with sharp criticism of Tekin, calling his statements a “big embarrassment.”

CHP deputy chairman Bülent Kuşoğlu described the split that led to Yeni Parti’s creation as an emotional break rather than an ideological division, noting that the controversy began before the 2023 elections. The dispute highlights internal tensions within Turkey’s opposition and raises questions about party property ownership and the legality of social‑media account transfers.