Özel Formally Founds Yeni Parti (New Party) With 91 Breakaway CHP Lawmakers

Ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel filed founding papers with the Interior Ministry on July 24, 2026 and held an inaugural meeting in Ankara, formally launching Yeni Parti ("New Party") and being elected its chairman. Ninety-one CHP deputies resigned to join the new party's founding committee, cutting CHP's parliamentary bloc from 135 to 44 seats in the 600-seat Grand National Assembly. The move follows the May 21, 2026 Ankara court ruling that annulled Özel's 2023 CHP leadership and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu — a decision Özel and international observers called politically motivated. Analysts warned the opposition split could work in President Erdoğan's favor by fragmenting the anti-AKP vote ahead of the 2028 presidential race, even as Yeni Parti is projected to instantly become parliament's largest opposition bloc.