Turkey’s parliament seats reshuffle and CHP leadership clash intensify
Following a court decision that reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as CHP leader, the party moved to remove Özgür Özel from the group leadership and appointed Tekirdağ MP Faik Öztrak in his place. The CHP’s internal dispute has also sparked calls for a new party and heated statements from Özel and other members.
In the Turkish Grand National Assembly, defections from the İYİ Party and the CHP to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK P) increased AK P’s seats to 277, while the CHP fell to 136, reducing the total number of deputies to 592. Independent members now number ten.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired the 33rd İstişare ve Değerlendirme Meeting in Sapanca, where AK P officials, including party spokesperson Ömer Çelik, reviewed extensive Sakarya‑region investment projects and reiterated the government’s “terror‑free Turkey” agenda. Çelik also urged the CHP to resolve its own issues internally.
Other political figures, such as Numan Kurtulmuş, highlighted Turkey’s growing strategic importance in NATO discussions and the progress toward eliminating terrorism from the national agenda. Meanwhile, smaller parties like the BBP held local esnaf visits, and the ABP claimed potential defections from the CHP.