Ankara, Turkey. Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel said on Tuesday that he will resign from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and establish a new party, amid a legal crackdown on President Tayyip Erdogan’s political opponents that has lasted nearly two years.
The expected move presents a new challenge for the CHP, founded more than a century ago by modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Court ruling and party leadership
Most CHP voters and lawmakers are expected to follow Ozel to the as-yet unnamed party after a court in May annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress and stripped him of his chairman title.
The ruling cited irregularities at the congress and reinstated former CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost the 2023 presidential election to Erdogan.
Speaking in parliament to more than 80 CHP lawmakers, Ozel said his team’s departure did not mean it was yielding to political pressure.
“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.
Claims of political pressure
Ozel and other critics described the court decision as a politically motivated “coup” amid what they called an unprecedented legal crackdown on the CHP.
The crackdown included the arrest last year of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, described as Erdogan’s main political rival. The government denies accusations of political interference, saying the judiciary is independent.
The legal actions have unsettled financial markets and raised concerns over democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.
Election outlook
The opposition crisis could strengthen Erdogan’s prospects of extending his rule of the NATO-member country. Turkey is scheduled to hold an election by 2028, though analysts say it could be brought forward if the government seeks to benefit from the CHP’s internal turmoil.
