Bursa sees all CHP mayors switch to Yeni Parti

In Bursa, six district mayors and about 94% of municipal council members resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP) and joined the newly formed Yeni Parti, leaving the city without a single CHP mayor. The defections were announced at a press conference in front of the Atatürk Monument, with Yeni Parti Bursa chief Nihat Yeşiltaş linking the move to ongoing corruption investigations involving Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey. The shift mirrors a similar pattern that began after CHP’s absolute veto decision, recalling the party’s loss of district mayoralties in the 1999 local elections.

Parallel realignments occurred in other Turkish municipalities. In Yunusemre (Manisa) and Denizli, council members who had left CHP for Yeni Parti prompted changes in chairmanships and committee memberships. Merkezefendi mayor Şeniz Doğan publicly denied any pressure to join Yeni Parti, stating his decision to remain in CHP was personal. Nationwide, more than 150 municipalities have switched allegiance to Yeni Parti, while major metropolitan areas such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir stay under CHP control.