The ousted chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) reaffirmed that he is planning to found a new party next month.
Özgür Özel sought to end speculations about his political future in an interview with pro-CHP Sözcü TV on Wednesday, two days after he told journalists that he decided on the name of the new party before adding “just kidding!”
He appeared serious this time, telling the broadcaster that preparations were underway for the new political party. He said any formal step would wait until after ongoing legal proceedings. In May, Özel was ousted from office when a court annulled CHP’s 2023 congress that elected Özel as chairperson, citing allegations of fraud in favor of Özel in that vote. The court verdict also reinstated Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He was quick to proceed with his plans to restore the party’s image stained with allegations of corruption engulfing CHP mayors and Özel himself.
Özel’s supporters branded Kılıçdaroğlu as a “traitor” who sought to hinder CHP’s ambitions to win the next presidential race under Özel. Meanwhile, he repeatedly called on the Kılıçdaroğlu administration to hold another party congress, believing that he would win the intraparty election again. Currently, the party is practically divided into two, one camp supporting Kılıçdaroğlu and another one supporting Özel, who now holds the title of CHP’s parliamentary group chair.
Kılıçdaroğlu said in a recent interview that he opposed the split within the party. The Özel camp says that the former leader has a better chance in the next presidential election scheduled for 2028, based on opinion polls, while Kılıçdaroğlu, almost every week, removes the party’s top figures pledging loyalty to Özel through disciplinary action. The expulsions, at times, led to violent confrontations between supporters of Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu. In some provinces, provincial chairs of the party removed from their post by the Kılıçdaroğlu administration for their loyalty to Özel, refused to leave the office.
Özel said the legal proceedings on an appeal to the ruling that ousted his leadership and a request to hold an extraordinary party congress could be completed within a couple of weeks, and if they are blocked, a new party could then be set up.
"A formal step could be taken toward the end of July or the beginning of August," Özel said when asked about the timing of the establishment of the new party.
He has been discreet about the new party as rumors were swirling and only hinted at it in speeches as he launched a campaign against the current CHP administration. The Özel camp has been quick to shoot down rumors that they would join an existing party instead of establishing a new one while Özel prioritized staying within CHP, to the chagrin of some supporters who urged him to act swiftly before losing the potential to run in the next general election.
