Turkey: Main Opposition Lawmaker Resigns From Party

A lawmaker from Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) resigned from the party on Monday.



Following his meeting with party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Aytun Ciray, deputy from the Aegean province of Izmir, said in a statement that he would be among the founders of a new, as-yet unnamed political party set to be officially established on Oct. 25.



With Ciray's resignation, the CHP now holds 132 seats in parliament, while independent lawmakers have six seats, up by one. The ruling Justice and Development Party has 316 seats, unchanged. -