Former Turkish Opposition Chief to Launch New Party Against Erdogan

WHO:

ABC News World - Ozgur Ozel is the deposed leader of Turkey's main opposition.

AP News - Kemal Kilicdaroglu is the former and reinstated leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

AP News - Ekrem Imamoglu is the mayor of Istanbul and a potential challenger to President Erdogan.

WHAT:

ABC News World - Ozel announced plans to form a new political party to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

AP News - The new political movement is expected to be called Yeni Parti, or New Party.

AP News - Ozel stated, “We are establishing our new party by taking the first step together with the deputies chosen by our nation.”

AP News - Many of the CHP’s 135 legislators in the 600-seat parliament are expected to defect to the new party.

WHERE:

AP News - The announcement was made in Ankara, Turkey.

WHEN:

AP News - The new party will be formally launched later this week.

WHY:

AP News - Ozel's ouster was described by critics as a politically motivated effort to weaken the opposition.

AP News - Ozel framed the court case leading to his ouster as a legal attack on the CHP.

HOW:

AP News - An appeals court annulled a 2023 party congress vote that appointed Ozel as CHP chair, citing alleged irregularities.

(UPDATED July 21, 2026 17:24 UTC)

Ozgur Ozel, the deposed leader of Turkey's main opposition, has announced plans to form a new political party called Yeni Parti, or New Party, to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This announcement was made in Ankara, and Ozel emphasized that they are taking the first step together with deputies chosen by the nation, with many of the CHP’s 135 legislators in parliament expected to join him. The new party is set to be formally launched later this week, following Ozel's ouster, which critics have described as a politically motivated effort to weaken the opposition.