New Party (YP) Chairperson Özgür Özel defended his vote in favor of legislation underpinning Türkiye’s terror-free initiative, saying a party that advocates resolving long-standing issues through Parliament could not oppose such a measure in the legislature.
Speaking in a live interview with broadcaster Halk TV on Monday, Özel said he personally took responsibility for voting in favor of the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, while allowing his party’s lawmakers to vote according to their own judgment.
“A party that says these issues should be resolved in Parliament cannot oppose the law in Parliament. I voted ‘yes’ on principle, taking full responsibility,” Özel noted.
He said the party could not oppose, on principle, a process in which a terrorist group declares its dissolution and abandons armed violence.
Özel acknowledged differing sensitivities among voters across Türkiye, pointing to concerns in the Black Sea, Thrace, Central Anatolia and western regions.
Türkiye’s Parliament earlier this month passed a landmark 12-article law supporting the country’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, following months of political efforts led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli.
The legislation outlines legal procedures for members of the PKK terrorist group who lay down their arms and surrender to Turkish authorities as the organization moves toward dissolution and disarmament. It includes provisions allowing the deferral of prosecution or prison sentences in certain circumstances, while establishing different legal procedures depending on an individual's position within the organization and involvement in criminal activity.
The law does not constitute a general amnesty and does not eliminate existing convictions, change the legal classification of crimes or broadly remove criminal liability, according to the justification accompanying the legislation.
On the other hand, ahead of the parliamentary vote, Özel said he consulted 91 New Party lawmakers, 74 provincial chairs and seven former provincial officials in provinces without sitting chairs.
“There was no absolute ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ I said I would represent the party’s principled position and we would leave the rest to individual choice,” he said.
Özel remarked that subsequent feedback from lawmakers, opinion polls and social media monitoring had reinforced his belief that allowing a free vote was the right decision.
Turning to domestic political alliances, Özel stated that parties should work independently until elections approach rather than determining alliances years in advance, saying that strategy was a mistake in the previous election.
Asked whether New Party could form an alliance with the Republican People’s Party (CHP) if a leader elected through a party vote took office, Özel left the door open.
“Anything is possible. Anyone elected in the CHP or another party is welcome,” he said.
Özel also noted that the New Party (YP) had reached 600,000 members since its establishment and predicted membership would rise to 1 million in a short period.
He also addressed remarks by CHP politician Muharrem İnce, who recently said “forming a party is not like making pickles” and that establishing one with legitimate funding was difficult.
Özel said he was initially offended by the remarks but accepted İnce’s subsequent explanation that he was referring to difficulties he experienced while establishing the Memleket Party.
“I believe an old friend does not become an enemy,” Özel added.
The breakaway between the two parties follows months of internal turmoil within the CHP after Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returned to the party leadership following a court ruling that invalidated the previous party congress, a decision widely referred to in Turkish political circles as the "absolute nullity" ruling.
