Ankara, Turkey. Ousted Republican People’s Party leader Ozgur Ozel said preparations are under way for the possible creation of a new political party, though no formal move would be made before ongoing legal proceedings are completed.
Ozel said a decision on an appeal against the ruling that removed him and a request for an extraordinary CHP congress could come within weeks.
Legal challenge and party congress
A Turkish court in May annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress, which had elected Ozel as chairman, citing irregularities. The ruling reinstated Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the party’s former leader who lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election.
In an interview with Sozcu TV, Ozel said that if the appeal process and the request for an extraordinary congress were blocked, a new party could be established.
“A formal step could be taken towards the end of July or the beginning of August,” he said when asked about the timing.
Political implications
Critics have described the court decision as politically motivated amid what they call an unprecedented legal crackdown on the CHP. The ruling unsettled financial markets and raised concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.
The government rejects those claims and says the judiciary is independent.
The CHP crisis could strengthen Erdogan’s prospects of extending his more than two-decade rule in NATO-member Turkey. Elections are scheduled by 2028, though analysts say they could be held earlier if the government seeks to benefit from divisions within the opposition.