Özel bids farewell to CHP, announces new beginning under new party

ANKARA

Özgür Özel, the leader of the main opposition, has announced his “timely but sad departure” from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) to form a new political party with a group of lawmakers, following a deep legal saga over the leadership of the party.

“Today we are bidding a sad farewell, a farewell we are forced to endure. But I also want to convey to our people that we carry within us the unwavering hope for a new beginning to come to power,” Özel said in his last address to the CHP lawmakers as the group leader on July 21.

Özel was ousted from the chairmanship of the CHP after a court reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu due alleged fraud during the party’s 2023 convention during which the latter lost against the former.

“After the completion of technical procedures and consultations with our lawmakers as well as our executive board, we will form our new party with our lawmakers. Thus, we will become the main opposition at the Parliament,” Özel stated.

Recalling that the new party will pursue a social democratic line and continue to embrace six main principles of the CHP, Özel, however stressed that their doors are open to all democrats who wish to bring an end to the current political order.

“I invite all the democrats who don’t have problems with our founder Atatürk and republican values to walk this way with us for the government,” he stated.

Özel underlined that Türkiye has come to a critical juncture and it is time to start a new journey in line with the calls of the people’s expectations for change.

“Every end is at the same a beginning,” Özel said, criticizing Kılıçdaroğlu for being a part of a plot organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), right after the local elections in 2024 in which Özel’s CHP defeated the ruling party.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s aim was to continue an internal conflict at the CHP to pave the way for the AKP to let President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan win the next elections, Özel said, underlining that the new party’s objective is to come to power and end this political order.