A new party has been founded in Turkish political life, while another has recently dissolved itself. Those who broke away from the Republican People's Party (CHP), bringing organization and cadres with them, founded the New Party (YP). According to media reports, even the furniture from CHP's party buildings is being moved to the YP. As a result, the debate over "just how new the New Party really is" looks set to continue for some time.
Those who split from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Ahmet Davutoğlu and Ali Babacan, founded two separate parties under their own leadership in 2019. A few days ago, Davutoğlu's Future Party (GP) ended its political life. It's also being discussed in political circles that the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) may merge with other parties.
Politics succeeds through grassroots movements. Sometimes pressure from the base gives birth to a new party. Sometimes politicians found a party by recognizing the expectations of the base and identifying gaps in the political landscape.
Populist parties that have risen around the world in recent years have built their politics around thematic issues. First, they manufactured an artificial sense of threat around subjects such as xenophobia, hostility toward migrants and Islam. From there, they managed people’s fears through the question of “who is one of us and who isn’t.” In this way, they built a base. Gradually, their support expanded. They influenced the political arena and forced centrist politics to transform. In this sense, new parties grew stronger in ways that reshaped politics.
