95 MPs Ditch Kılıçdaroğlu, 90+ Sign Up for Özel’s New Party as Mass Defection Begins
A massive split has erupted in Turkey’s main opposition party, with 95 lawmakers backing leader Özgür Özel while 21 remain loyal to former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and more than 90 MPs have already signed up to join Özel’s planned new political formation [203135][203114].
The breakup turned into action this week when Murat Bakan, a senior CHP lawmaker from Izmir, resigned from the party on Tuesday — the first concrete step in a coordinated wave of defections [201876]. Bakan’s exit follows Özel’s call during the CHP’s parliamentary group meeting, where he told lawmakers he and others had taken the “first step” toward launching a new party [201876]. Sources expect the official application to be submitted to the Interior Ministry either tomorrow or on Monday [203114].
Of the CHP’s 135 total MPs, 95 openly support Özel, 21 back Kılıçdaroğlu, and 18 have not publicly chosen a side [203135]. More than 90 lawmakers have already signed up as founding members of Özel’s new party, according to party sources [203114]. The majority of the CHP parliamentary group is expected to follow Bakan and join the new movement [201876].
Separately, in Ankara, CHP member Haldun Güler was elected deputy mayor of Çankaya after a second round of voting in the municipal council [203141].