Deposed Turkish opposition leader plans new party

Ozgur Ozel, Turkey's former opposition leader, announced his intention to establish a new political party following his removal from the leadership of the Republican People's Party (CHP) through a court decision in May. Ozel made the announcement during a parliamentary speech on Tuesday, characterising the new political project as representing hope for a fresh beginning in efforts to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long-standing rule. The formation of the new party, whose name remains undisclosed, is anticipated to precipitate substantial voter and parliamentarian departures from the secularist CHP, an institution founded over a century ago by modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ozel stated that the party would be established with support from elected deputies and described the initiative as determined steps toward governing Turkey. Many of the CHP's 135 legislators within the 600-seat parliament are expected to defect to the new party, which Ozel predicted would become parliament's main opposition force by a considerable margin. The announcement follows an appeals court decision two months prior that stripped Ozel of his CHP chairmanship and reinstated the party's former and unpopular leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Turkey's opposition has faced mounting legal challenges, with hundreds of elected municipal officials and party members detained since late 2024. Criminal investigations across the country, predominantly alleging corruption in CHP-administered municipalities, have resulted in numerous detentions, including that of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely regarded as Erdogan's strongest potential challenger. Imamoglu has remained imprisoned since March of the previous year and confronts criminal cases that could impose sentences spanning decades. Ozel and critics characterise the court ruling and broader legal campaign against the CHP as a politically motivated coup, though the government maintains that Turkey's courts operate impartially and independently of political influence. Erdogan, who has governed Turkey for over two decades in successive roles as prime minister and president, has rejected allegations of judicial interference, describing the case against Ozel as an internal CHP dispute. Under Ozel's leadership, the CHP achieved a significant electoral victory in the 2024 municipal elections, capturing additional cities and consolidating control over key municipalities including Istanbul and Ankara. Some analysts have suggested that Ozel's new party could inadvertently benefit Erdogan by fragmenting opposition forces.