Turkey's political reshuffle: Ümit Dikbayır set to join AKP as CHP grapples with internal crisis

Independent Sakarya MP Ümit Dikbayır confirmed that he will join the Justice and Development Party (AKP) on 14 August, saying “Daha önce çağırmışlardı, bekledim.” The move follows his earlier departures from the Good Party, a brief stint with the Republican People’s Party and his resignation from the CHP in June 2026. Media reports also note that Good Party MP Mehmet Mustafa Gürban may also switch to the AKP.

Meanwhile, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) held a closed‑door group meeting to elect new management bodies. Of the party’s 44 parliamentary seats, only 25 MPs attended; 19 were absent, with reports that around 15 of them abstained as a protest. The meeting also highlighted a dispute over the party’s “kâtip” (clerk) seats in the parliamentary presidium, where three members occupy positions meant for only two, prompting calls for one to step down. New appointments to the Group Management Committee, Discipline Committee and auditor roles were announced, and party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is scheduled to convene the Central Executive Board to address these issues.