Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel announced on Tuesday that he will launch a new political party after a court removed him as chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in May, deepening a split within the country's main opposition.
The announcement follows months of prosecutions targeting the CHP through a series of investigations that have led to the arrest of 26 opposition mayors on corruption charges, including Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
A separate case alleged that Ozel was elected party chairman through bribery and irregular lobbying. The court subsequently annulled the party congress that brought him to power and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu as interim leader pending an appeal.
Despite repeated calls from party figures, Kilicdaroglu has refused to convene an extraordinary congress. Instead, he has focused on removing senior officials aligned with Ozel and Imamoglu.
The investigations began after the CHP swept Turkey's major cities in the 2024 local elections and emerged as the country's largest party by vote share. The judicial campaign has since weakened the opposition and deepened internal divisions.
