Key facts
- Ozgur Ozel, ousted as leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), is resigning to form a new party.
- A Turkish court annulled the CHP's 2023 congress, reinstating Kemal Kilicdaroglu as chairman.
- The CHP leadership condemned the court ruling as a "judicial coup."
- The political crisis has rattled financial markets and raised concerns about democracy and rule of law in Turkey.
Ozgur Ozel, who was ousted as the leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) by a court decision, announced he is formally resigning from the party to launch a new one. The court's ruling annulled the 2023 CHP congress that had elected Ozel, citing irregularities, and reinstated Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the party's former leader who lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election.
Ozel stated that preparations are underway for the possible establishment of a new political party, with formal steps potentially occurring by the end of July or early August if his legal appeals and requests for an extraordinary party congress are blocked. The judicial intervention has been described by critics as politically motivated amid a crackdown on opponents, rattling financial markets and fueling concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. The government maintains that the judiciary is independent.
The crisis escalated with the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March 2025, triggering large protests and a market selloff. Opposition parties, rights groups, and some European leaders argue the investigations are politically motivated efforts to silence dissent, while the government denies this.
The political landscape has shifted since the CHP's victory in the 2024 local elections, with a widening crackdown leading to the suspension, arrest, or prosecution of opposition mayors. Some mayors have switched parties or resigned from the CHP, while several lawmakers elected from opposition parties have joined the ruling AKP, strengthening its parliamentary position.