03.08.2026 18:04
Özgür Özel, who left the CHP to found the New Party, has revealed for the first time the seat offer conveyed to him by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu through an intermediary during the separation process. Özel stated that Kılıçdaroğlu offered, 'First, let me become the party leader, and after the elections, when I become the Speaker of Parliament, I will hand over the party leadership to you,' and added, 'It was impossible for me to accept this; every day we spent was stealing from the country's future.'
Following the 'absolute nullity' decision in CHP, Özgür Özel, who resigned with 90 deputies to found the New Party, revealed the behind-the-scenes of the departure process. Özel disclosed for the first time the offer conveyed to him through an intermediary by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
"YOU WAIT NOW, AFTER THE ELECTIONS..."
Özgür Özel emphasized that all offers presented to him to stay in the party after the congress process were based on personal positions. Criticizing the offer from the Kılıçdaroğlu side harshly, Özel described the negotiation process as follows: "An intermediary friend came and said: 'Kemal Bey is close to this offer. You stay here, let him be the chairman. When the time comes, in the elections, Kemal Bey will become a deputy and then the Speaker of Parliament. After he becomes the Speaker of Parliament, after the elections, I will also become the chairman.' How can I accept such a thing!"
"EVERY DAY WE WERE STEALING FROM THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY"
Stating that it was impossible for him to accept this scenario presented to him, the New Party Leader expressed how he made the decision to leave as follows: "We must determine who the presidential candidate of this country is, stand behind him together, and change this government. Anyone making calculations other than this is not thinking about the good of this country. Already, as I heard these things, I understood that every day we spent there, we were stealing from the future of the country; we needed to hit the road, and we did."
DONATIONS TO THE NEW PARTY
Speaking about donations to the New Party, Özel said, "We will show care in where and how every penny of aid given is spent, and even open it to the inspection of all party members. We will publish audit reports." Özel added: "The money given has value beyond its monetary worth; it has a value of belonging. Online memberships will start this week, and there will be a system where regular dues will be paid through it. We especially ask everyone who has the means to embrace a party whose establishment they have decided on, whose name they have decided on, and whose budget they have determined, to both contribute and to audit how the party they contribute to spends this money."
WILL CEMIL TUGAY MOVE TO THE AK PARTY?
Speaking about the claims that Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay would join the AK Party, Özel described what happened in their last meeting as follows: "Would anyone call and say you will join the AK Party? He himself denied it many times. My friends say he made big promises. Cemil Tugay said 'we must establish a party immediately' when the nullity decision came out. I said 'that won't happen.' He left on his own. I said you rushed. 'We are always a burden to you. Let us take the burden off your shoulders,' he said. Our last conversation with him was within this framework. I haven't called him for 20 days. I sent my deputy chairman to talk. He told me he would not join the AK Party. Yesterday, our former deputy chairman went again and said he does not see a possibility of joining the AK Party. Also, we are not in the same party right now. I didn't want to call and say anything. I don't want to do something just because of the provocation of AK trolls. Afterwards, these calls are being exploited."