Ninety members of Parliament, together with Özgür Özel, resigned from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Türkiye’s main opposition party, last week. Thus, they formalized the split within the party’s history and paved the way for the establishment of a new political party. Eventually, Özel declared the establishment of a new political party, the New Party (YP), last Friday.
In order to get votes from the Kemalist and secular circles, Özel imitated the path of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the CHP and the leader of the Independence War. He initiated the formation process at Hacı Bayram Mosque in Ankara by visiting the tomb of the famous Turkish mystic Hacı Bayram-ı Veli. He walked to the Parliament building and gave a speech in front of it, officially inaugurating the new party on Friday. The date was the anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, which is the symbol of international diplomatic recognition and defines the borders of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Results of the split
The establishment of the New Party has dramatically changed the balance of power in the Turkish Parliament. By losing 91 members, the CHP has lost its status as the main opposition party after a very long time. Özel’s New Party has become the second largest political party in Parliament. The number of parliamentary groups has increased to seven. Accordingly, the seating arrangement in the Parliament will be re-organized.
