More than 230 CHP mayors join Özel’s New Party
The main opposition New (Yeni) Party announced today that 232 mayors, including 28 city mayors, have joined its ranks after resigning from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) .
The New Party was founded on Jul 24 by Özgür Özel after a court ruling removed him as CHP leader. Ninety of the CHP's 135 deputies joined Özel, formally gaining the new party main opposition status.
Turkey’s main opposition party officially splits as Özel declares New Party
The defections have apparently spread to local administrations now, as New Party deputy head Yaşar Tüzün said they expect the total number of mayors joining the party to exceed 300 by the end of this month.
Asked by reporters about the mayors of İstanbul and Ankara, however, Tüzün said, “We have had no talks. They will make their decisions after conducting their own assessments as the process continues.”
The defections mean the CHP has now lost more than half of the municipalities it won, with only a handful of city mayors remaining in their ranks.
Under Özel’s leadership, the CHP won mayoralties in 35 of Turkey’s 81 provinces in the 2024 local elections. It secured more than 400 municipalities, including districts and towns, making it the most popular party in that election.
However, a sweeping corruption crackdown targeting CHP-controlled municipalities began in March last year. More than 35 mayors have been arrested and suspended from office in the investigations since then, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whom Özel had declared the CHP’s presidential candidate at the time, as well as the mayors of major cities such as Antalya, Adana and Bursa.
An Ankara court separately ruled in May that the CHP’s 2023 congress, where Özel was elected party leader, was null because of irregularities and reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The ruling is under appeal, but Özel founded the New Party without waiting for the appeals process to conclude.
Court removes leadership of Turkey's main opposition party
Last week, Ankara prosecutors sought authorization to investigate Özel on bribery allegations related to the 2023 congress. Such an investigation could proceed if parliament lifts Özel’s immunity.
Özel claims that these judicial moves are politically motivated and intended to weaken the opposition after its success in the 2024 local elections. The government rejects the allegations, saying that witnesses in many of the investigations are themselves CHP members. (VK)
