Muharrem Ince, a former presidential candidate who once challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, returned Tuesday to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), ending a three-year political split and dissolving his breakaway Homeland Party (MP).
Ince announced his return during a meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group, where party leader Özgür Özel welcomed him back, describing the move as a critical step toward opposition unity amid increasing political pressure from the ruling government.
“This party is under heavy attack,” Özel said. “I called on my comrade to return to his political home – and he did.”
Ince, 60, was the CHP’s nominee against Erdoğan in the 2018 presidential election, where he gained national prominence despite losing. He broke with the CHP in early 2021 after internal disputes and founded the MP that May, positioning it as an alternative to traditional opposition politics.
Speaking to lawmakers Tuesday, Ince said his return was prompted by Özel’s sincere outreach and the broader need for unity.
“I did not come with pride or regret,” Ince said. “Sometimes we leave out of frustration. Sometimes we search for hope elsewhere. Today, I return with a desire to heal the wounds of separation.”
Earlier in the day, Ince convened the MP’s executive board, which voted unanimously to dissolve the party. An extraordinary convention is expected in July to formalize the closure, party officials said.
Ince’s MP failed to gain significant traction in national elections, drawing just 0.17% of the vote in the 2024 local polls. Despite stepping away from the CHP, Ince occasionally expressed support for the party, particularly in response to legal actions against its members, including Imamoğlu’s March 2024 arrest on corruption charges, which Ince publicly condemned.
Ince’s return is widely seen as part of Özel’s strategy to consolidate the opposition ahead of future elections, as the CHP seeks to build on its historic gains in the 2024 municipal races – the first time in 47 years the party emerged as Türkiye's leading political force.
