Turkey's former opposition leader Ozgur Ozel is moving ahead with plans to establish a new political party after a court decision he had been awaiting in a dispute within the Republican People's Party (CHP) was not issued.
According to Turkish media reports, an appeal before the Court of Cassation concerning the so-called "absolute nullity" case in the CHP is expected to be examined after the judicial recess, most likely in September.
The delay is said to have accelerated Ozel's plans. He had previously made clear that if there was no immediate positive outcome from the legal process, he would proceed with the creation of a new political movement.
According to the same reports, the application to establish the new party is expected to be submitted to Turkey's Interior Ministry on 27 July.
The new political formation is reportedly set to be named "Yeni Parti", meaning "New Party".
Its founding council is expected to consist mainly of lawmakers aligned with Ozel and opposed to recent developments within the CHP.
Attention is now focused on Tuesday's meeting of the CHP parliamentary group, where Ozel is expected to present his new political roadmap and outline plans for the party's establishment.
Turkish media reports suggest this could be the last CHP parliamentary group meeting that Ozel attends in his current capacity.
Following his speech, Ozel is expected to begin a series of consultations with party officials elected during his tenure as CHP leader.
He is reportedly planning to meet first with provincial party chairpersons and then with members of the Party Council and the Central Executive Board.
An official announcement of Ozel's decisions is expected to clarify the scale of the split within Turkey's largest opposition party and indicate how many lawmakers may join him in the new political venture.
Background
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party has been mired in a legal and political crisis following a court ruling that declared invalid the party's November 2023 congress, at which Ozel defeated long-time CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
The decision triggered a power struggle within the CHP and intensified debate over judicial involvement in party affairs. Ozel and his supporters have criticised the intervention, while opponents argue the ruling addresses alleged procedural irregularities in the leadership contest.
Should Ozel establish a new political movement, potentially drawing lawmakers and officials away from the CHP, it remains to be seen how this might impact any early elections that the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) is reportedly keen to initiate. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already voiced a desire to run for office again, but this is something he can only do constitutionally if the Turkish parliament calls early elections.
Source: CNA
