Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has been shattered by a mass defection, with former leader Ozgur Ozel and 90 other lawmakers breaking away to form a new political party, the 'Yeni Parti' (New Party). The move reshapes the country's political landscape.

The New Party, with 91 lawmakers, automatically becomes the second-largest group in Turkey's 600-seat parliament, behind President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which holds 277 seats. The CHP, previously the second-largest with 135 seats, now has only 44 seats, dropping to fourth place behind the pro-Kurdish DEM party (56 seats).

Ozel, who won the CHP leadership in 2023 and led the party to major gains in 2024 municipal elections, said the new party would become the main opposition force. He gained prominence in 2025 by leading protests for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who faces over 2,000 years in prison on corruption and terrorism charges widely seen as politically motivated.

In May 2025, a court annulled Ozel's election over alleged vote-buying, stripping him of his leadership and appointing his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Critics have denounced the legal challenges as undemocratic, while the government maintains the judiciary is independent. Defecting MP Murat Emir stated, 'We are leaving an occupied party behind.'

Source: www.dw.com