Özgür Özel launches Yeni Parti after mass CHP defection
Former CHP group leader Özgür Özel resigned from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) after a court reinstated the party’s former chairman. He and 90 other CHP MPs filed resignation notices through the e‑Devlet system, bringing the total number of departing legislators to 91. The group signed the founding documents of a new political formation called “Yeni Parti” (New Party) and submitted the petition to the Interior Ministry on 24 July 2026.
The departure reduced CHP’s parliamentary seats from 135 to 44, pushing the party to fifth place in the Grand National Assembly, while Yeni Parti immediately became the second‑largest group with 91 seats, overtaking the main opposition status. The new party plans its first leadership meeting at the Anadolu Club, where Özel will be elected party chairman and the party’s internal bodies will be established. The move is presented as a “historic crossroads” for Turkey’s opposition and is expected to reshape the legislative balance ahead of the next elections.