11.07.2026 15:21
CHP Group Chairman Özgür Özel stated that he has started preparations for a new party and announced that he would become the chairman of the party to be established if they leave CHP. Özel said, "A group of our friends is carrying out the process of establishing the new party. As soon as we realize that it is not possible for us to stay in CHP, we will move to the newly established party and proceed there." According to information obtained by Haberler.com Ankara Representative Şerife Güzel from behind-the-scenes sources, İmamoğlu also demands that the establishment process be completed as soon as possible.
CHP Group Chair Özgür Özel responded to questions from Cumhuriyet newspaper and made evaluations.
When asked about traditional voters and certain segments within the organization expressing views that the party should stay, Özel said, "I am on that side too. I basically think we should stay in CHP. But they are doing their best to make it impossible. For instance, the first thing was to legitimize the AKP judiciary. 'We will respect judicial processes...' When you hear that, what else is there to discuss? The AKP is politically targeting individuals through the judiciary, and the first slogan here is 'purification.' That is, accepting that CHP is dirty."
Describing the process as "depriving CHP of candidates, institutions, and leaders," Özel said, "The fight isn't with the 2023 CHP, but with its newly emerging will. What do you want from the provincial and district chairs elected in the 2025 congress? You call the provincial chair at night and ask, 'Will you work with me?' When they say 'I can't do what you want,' you refer them to discipline the next day. What pains me most: all our female members elected a Women's Branch Chair. Men are removing the Women's Branch Chair elected by women. Same for the youth. This is now completely surreal."
"IF YSK SAYS 'CONGRESS CANNOT BE HELD,' PEOPLE WILL BE ANGRY AT YSK, NOT KEMAL BEY"
Özel continued as follows:
"When a trustee was appointed to Istanbul, they allowed our congress to be held. It even went ahead despite the court's precautionary decision saying 'You will not do it.' If you truly want to hold a congress, get the decision, send it to the district election board; if they don't do it, let's all be angry at them together. Why don't they try? Because they know they could hold the congress if they tried. The only ones saying 'it can't be done' are Kemal Bey's friends. If the YSK says 'it can't be done,' then people will be angry at the YSK, not Kemal Bey. So I don't see good faith here."
"IT WOULD BE BETTER IF A TRUSTEE WERE APPOINTED"
"Despite all my sadness and hurt over what is being done today, I am not saying anything. There is a complete effort to govern without being elected and to stay in power through a formal election. We applied with 833 delegate signatures. They are on Kemal Bey's desk, but he doesn't act on them. We will go to court. In this case, appointing a trustee for the congress is on the table. Kemal Bey says, 'Would it be better if a trustee were appointed?' Well yes, it would be better. Because the authority is limited. They hold a congress within 40 days, cannot hire or appoint staff. They make only necessary expenditures. Currently, we face a situation where people are buying, selling, hitting, breaking, firing 25-year employees, and entering the party with police."
ÖZEL EXPLAINED PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW PARTY
Özel stated that after the annulment decision, when they left the party and began their march, most of the first words he heard were "Don't leave the party to them," but as they hit a brick wall, the expectation for a new party grew stronger on the ground, and he noted that in polls, talk of a new party was rising. Expressing that they are preparing for this situation, Özel said they have friends working on the bylaws, program, name, and logo. "Essentially, there is a process of founding a new party," Özel said, continuing:
"OUR FRIENDS ARE ALSO FOUNDING THE NEW PARTY"
"If we leave CHP, I will be the general chair of the new party founded; we will build a new party from scratch. We will complete its organization and make it qualified to enter elections. We will not move to that party. We will keep an alternative ready, with friends who previously held positions in the party but are not currently active in politics as general chair and administrators, which we can all join in a snap election. But this is for a disaster scenario. The other option is founding a new party from scratch and being there. Our friends are also founding the new party. Maybe the party is established in advance and gains some ground. Participation happens later. We join the party and hold its first congress. We are not doing nothing right now. A group of friends is handling the new party founding process. The moment we see it's impossible to stay in CHP, we will move to the newly founded party and proceed there.
There are already 30 founding board members. There's no distinction between president and manager there. They don't need me there anyway. There's even talk that 'there will be surprise names on the founding board.' My view is that there should be no surprises. We think the founding should be done technically. Technically, let legal and agile friends prepare that. Then, if we are to go, we can join the party with hundreds of thousands of voluntary founders."
"CUMHUR ALLIANCE RHETORIC IS WORRISOME"
When asked about the risk of CHP being reduced to a similar situation as DSP in the future, Özel said they follow with concern steps trying to align with the Cumhur Alliance's foreign policy approach and rhetoric. Özel continued:
"They are doing everything to make us leave. Anything could happen after we leave. At least DSP elected its own general chair. The court didn't appoint one. Imagine, Ecevit's party allied with someone who insulted Ecevit throughout his life and mocked his illness, but ultimately, DSP's members elected that general chair. The issue of becoming DSP-like sounds terrible in terms of joining the Cumhur Alliance, but at the same time, it brings a bitter smile."
İMAMOĞLU'S REQUEST REGARDING THE PARTY NAME
Meanwhile, according to information obtained by Haberler.com Ankara Representative Şerife Güzel, it is said that Ekrem İmamoğlu, mentioned in backstage talks as the figure behind the new party efforts, has requested that the word 'yol' ('path') be included in the party name and wants the party to be established as soon as possible.