Turkiye's Ousted Opposition Leader Dismisses New Party Plans Amid Crisis
Ozgur Ozel urges CHP members to stay put amid turmoil within the party following a court ruling and police intervention.
Istanbul: Turkiye's ousted opposition leader Ozgur Ozel has ruled out any plans to leave the crisis-hit CHP and form a new party, urging fellow members to remain steadfast amidst the ongoing turmoil within the party.
The CHP, Turkiye's oldest political party, has been significantly shaken by a court ruling on May 21 that overturned a 2023 party primary election, which had elected Ozel as leader, reinstating his defeated rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu instead.Three days post-ruling, riot police forcibly entered the CHP's Ankara headquarters, employing tear gas and physically assaulting party members before expelling them.
Ozel addressed these events to AFP on a Sunday evening, stating that despite the crisis, there are no intentions of forming a new political faction.
He emphasized his call for fellow party members not to resign or leave the party, advocating for a resolution to the issue through a leadership primary 'as soon as possible.'Ozel also appealed to Kilicdaroglu, urging him not to lead a party he was not democratically elected to head.
He reiterated his stance by calling for a decision made by the CHP's two million members to determine the rightful leader.Critics have vehemently condemned the court decision, viewing it as another brazen attempt to eliminate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's primary political adversaries ahead of upcoming elections, which must be held by May 2028.
The CHP has faced heightened pressure following its significant local election victory over Erdogan's AKP in 2024, with numerous mayors from the party arrested on charges ranging from corruption to terrorism ties.The arrest and imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March 2025 — the CHP's presidential candidate and a formidable political rival to Erdogan — triggered Turkiye's most severe street unrest in over a decade.
The CHP spearheaded mass protests following this event, catapulting Ozel into the spotlight.
Despite facing legal challenges largely perceived as politically motivated, the party has seen its popularity soar in polls.
The CHP, Turkiye's oldest political party, has been significantly shaken by a court ruling on May 21 that overturned a 2023 party primary election, which had elected Ozel as leader, reinstating his defeated rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu instead.Three days post-ruling, riot police forcibly entered the CHP's Ankara headquarters, employing tear gas and physically assaulting party members before expelling them.
Ozel addressed these events to AFP on a Sunday evening, stating that despite the crisis, there are no intentions of forming a new political faction.
He emphasized his call for fellow party members not to resign or leave the party, advocating for a resolution to the issue through a leadership primary 'as soon as possible.'Ozel also appealed to Kilicdaroglu, urging him not to lead a party he was not democratically elected to head.
He reiterated his stance by calling for a decision made by the CHP's two million members to determine the rightful leader.Critics have vehemently condemned the court decision, viewing it as another brazen attempt to eliminate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's primary political adversaries ahead of upcoming elections, which must be held by May 2028.
The CHP has faced heightened pressure following its significant local election victory over Erdogan's AKP in 2024, with numerous mayors from the party arrested on charges ranging from corruption to terrorism ties.The arrest and imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March 2025 — the CHP's presidential candidate and a formidable political rival to Erdogan — triggered Turkiye's most severe street unrest in over a decade.
The CHP spearheaded mass protests following this event, catapulting Ozel into the spotlight.
Despite facing legal challenges largely perceived as politically motivated, the party has seen its popularity soar in polls.
