Ninety lawmakers, led by former Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, resigned from Türkiye's main opposition party on Friday, formalizing the biggest split in the party's recent history and paving the way for the launch of a new political movement.
The resignations came days after Özel announced during his final CHP parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday that he would establish a new political party following a prolonged internal leadership dispute.
Özel signed the founding documents of the new party on Friday, officially initiating the legal process for its establishment. The party's name and leadership structure are expected to be announced following the completion of registration procedures.
The breakaway follows months of internal turmoil within the CHP after Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returned to the party leadership following a court ruling that invalidated the previous party congress, a decision widely referred to in Turkish political circles as the "absolute nullity" ruling.
Party spokesperson Müslim Sarı said earlier this week that launching another party while remaining within the CHP was "not ethical" and argued that those leaving had failed to present an ideological alternative to the party's long-standing political line.
