2026-07-21T12:40:55Z<\/p>\n
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) \u2014 The deposed leader of Turkey\u2019s main opposition on Tuesday announced plans to establish a new political party to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The announcement came months after Ozgur Ozel was removed from his post<\/a><\/span> as leader of the Republican People\u2019s Party, or CHP, by a court order \u2014 a ruling critics say was a politically motivated effort to weaken the opposition. His ouster, and the reinstatement of the party\u2019s former and unpopular leader, sparked outrage among many CHP supporters.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are establishing our new party by taking the first step together with the deputies chosen by our nation,\u201d Ozel said in a speech to fellow CHP lawmakers and other officials in parliament. \u201cThese are the determined steps of a march toward governing Turkey.\u201d<\/p>\n Reports have said the new political movement, expected to be called Yeni Parti or New Party, would be formally launched later this week.<\/p>\n Many of the CHP\u2019s 135 legislators in the 600\u2011seat parliament were expected to defect from the CHP to join the new party, and Ozel said it would become the parliament\u2019s main opposition party \u201cby a wide margin.\u201d<\/p>\n In May, an appeals court \u2014 citing alleged irregularities \u2014 annulled a 2023 party congress vote that appointed Ozel as CHP chair. The decision reinstated his predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.<\/p>\n Ozel had succeeded the 77\u2011year\u2011old Kilicdaroglu after 13 years of what many analysts described as ineffective opposition to Erdogan.<\/p>\n The 51-year-old has framed the court case as the latest legal attack on the CHP. Criminal investigations across the country \u2014 mostly alleging corruption in CHP\u2011run municipalities \u2014 have led to hundreds of elected officials and party members being detained.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n