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Turkey's ousted opposition leader, Ozgur Ozel, on Tuesday announced he would resign from the Republican People's Party, or CHP, and launch a new political party.
"Today, we are on the brink of a sad farewell that has become inevitable and whose time has come. However, we would like to share with the people that we carry the hope of a new beginning," Ozel said to more than 80 CHP lawmakers.
Ozel was removed as head of the CHP by court orderin May, in a ruling that also reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as interim leader.
Ozel and Kilicdaroglu disagreed on how to resolve the leadership issue permanently, leading to a dispute within the CHP.
New party did deepens split in Turkish opposition
Ozel's supporters say the case is part of a broader campaign by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to weaken the opposition, while the government insists Turkey's courts operate independently.
Ozel is reportedly due to submit an application to the Interior Ministry to establish the new party, which, according to reports, will be called the "Yeni Party" ("New Party").
He enjoys strong support from CHP parliamentarians, and many of them are expected to defect from the CHP to join the new party once it is formed.
"Once the necessary procedures are completed, the new party we are about to establish will become the main opposition force in the Grand National Assembly by a wide margin," Ozel said. "We carry within us an unwavering hope for a new beginning," Ozel told lawmakers, who gave him a standing ovation.
Crackdown on the CHP
The dispute comes as investigations targeting CHP-run municipalities continue, including cases against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu has been imprisoned since March last year and faces multiple criminal cases that could result in decades-long sentences.
After Imamoglu's arrest, Ozel played a key role in mobilizing Turkey's largest street protests in more than a decade, which saw the party's popularity rise in the polls.
Under Ozel's leadership, the CHP also made major gains in the 2024 municipal elections, strengthening its control of key cities including Istanbul and Ankara.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
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Author: Louis Oelofse (with AFP, AP, Reuters)
