21.07.2026 16:30
After Özgür Özel's official announcement from the parliament podium that they will establish a new party, resignations have begun in the CHP. İzmir Deputy Murat Bakan became the first name to officially resign from his party.
Following Özgür Özel's announcement of his new political roadmap, tense hours are unfolding within the CHP. Murat Bakan, a CHP Istanbul deputy serving as the Minister of Interior in the Shadow Cabinet and one of the party's prominent figures, announced his resignation from the party.
"A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION FOR MY FAMILY AND ME"
Sharing his resignation decision with the public, Murat Bakan highlighted his history within the CHP and his family's deep ties to the party, expressing how difficult this separation was for him with these words:
"I have resigned from the Republican People's Party. I became a neighborhood delegate, a provincial delegate, a congress delegate, and a council member. I am a deputy who emerged from the primary election in the CHP. I became a Deputy General Chair, a member of the Party Council, and the Minister of Interior in the Shadow Cabinet. My mother is a member, my father is a member, my wife is a member, my son is a member; my mother-in-law and father-in-law are members... There is no one in my family who is not a member of the Republican People's Party. It is very difficult for my family. It is very difficult for me."
"WE LEAVE THOSE WHO OCCUPY THE PARTY AND MARCH TOWARD POWER"
Emphasizing that his decision is not an end to his political life but rather a new beginning, Bakan underscored that they would not deviate from Atatürk's principles. Also leveling harsh criticism at the current CHP administration, Murat Bakan concluded his statement with these words:
"But this is not an end. By keeping the principles and values of the Republican People's Party alive, and following in the footsteps of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's revolutions... We leave those who occupy the party only in name and buildings, and march toward power under Özgür Özel's leadership in our new party."