ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish politician Ozgur Ozel on Friday resigned from the country's biggest opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), alongside 90 other lawmakers, to launch a new party, marking a major shift in the opposition landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The new political movement, called the Yeni Parti, or New Party, held its inaugural meeting in capital Ankara, electing Ozel as its chairman, and has submitted its founding documents to the interior ministry.
A FRESH OPPOSITION BLOC
The move came after months of internal divisions within the CHP, Türkiye's oldest center-left political party, formed by the founder of modern Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, escalated into a legal battle.
An Ankara court annulled in May the results of the 2023 CHP congress that had brought Ozel to the party leadership, and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu as interim leader, prompting Ozel and his allies to establish their own party.
The New Party's creation significantly weakens the CHP and alters the balance of power in parliament.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) remains the largest party in parliament with 277 lawmakers, while the newly formed party becomes the second-largest parliamentary group with 91 members. The CHP, meanwhile, has been reduced to 44 seats, making it the fifth-largest party in the legislature.
Reports indicate that at least 94 of the CHP's 135 lawmakers, together with 74 of its 81 provincial leaders, will eventually align themselves with the New Party in the coming days.
The split also comes against the backdrop of judicial investigations into CHP officials. According to media reports, 26 CHP mayors, including Ekrem Imamoglu, the elected mayor of Istanbul, have been arrested on corruption charges since 2025.
CLOUT YET TO SECURE ELECTORAL APPEAL
Although the New Party enters politics with a sizable parliamentary presence, analysts say its long-term prospects will depend on how effectively it builds its organization and develops its policy agenda.
With Türkiye still grappling with high inflation, opposition parties are expected to center their campaigns on the cost of living, employment and social welfare.
"The important issue is not only creating a new party but convincing citizens that it can offer practical solutions to the country's challenges," said former CHP lawmaker Utku Cakirozer, who joined the New Party.
Cakirozer told Xinhua that voters would ultimately judge political parties on their ability to address problems including employment, education, judicial independence, and institutional governance.
Whether the New Party can develop into a lasting political force or remain largely a byproduct of the CHP's internal divisions will depend on its ability to convert its parliamentary strength into nationwide electoral support ahead of the 2028 elections, observers point out.
Serkan Demirtas, an Ankara-based political analyst, said building strong local organizations and advancing policies that appeal to voters beyond the CHP's traditional base will be crucial to the New Party's ability to gain electoral support.
"If it simply redistributes existing opposition votes, its overall impact may remain limited. But if it reaches undecided voters and those who have become disillusioned with politics, it could reshape the political landscape before 2028," Demirtas said. ■
