# Turkey municipal politics: Yeni Party surge > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkey-municipal-politics-yeni-party-rise > Updated: 2026-08-03T13:32:14.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 2. In early August 2026, six district mayors in Bursa left the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for the newly formed Yeni Party, taking most municipal council members with them. The defections were framed as evidence of a deepening democratic crisis and coincided with the removal of Bursa’s metropolitan mayor on corruption charges. The following day, Yeni Party officials announced that the remaining CHP mayors in Bursa also switched allegiance, leaving the city without a single CHP mayor. About 94 % of the municipal council now sits with Yeni Party representatives, consolidating the party’s control of Bursa’s local government. Similar realignments were reported in other municipalities, such as Yunusemre (Manisa) and Denizli, where council members who defected to Yeni Party altered chairmanships and committee memberships. Nationwide, more than 150 municipalities have shifted to Yeni Party, although major metropolitan areas—including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir—remain under CHP control. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-03: Istanbul Metropolitan Council Majority Remains with Opposition Amid Mayor Arrests, Yeni Party Says Yeni Party says opposition still leads Istanbul’s municipal council despite arrests of 14 mayors, noting a narrowing gap with the ruling bloc. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/istanbul-metropolitan-council-majority-remains-with-opposition-amid-mayor-arrests-yeni-party-says ### 2026-08-02: Bursa sees all CHP mayors switch to Yeni Parti Six Bursa district mayors and most council members quit CHP for Yeni Parti, leaving the city without a CHP mayor; similar defections spread to other Turkish towns, highlighting a major split in the party. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/six-bursa-district-mayors-switch-from-chp-to-yeni-parti --- Cite as: Turkey municipal politics: Yeni Party surge. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkey-municipal-politics-yeni-party-rise