ANKARA — Ozgur Ozel, who was removed as chairman of Turkey’s leading opposition party through a court order, announced Tuesday that he is formally stepping down from the party and launching a new political organization.
The move follows a May court ruling that struck down the Republican People’s Party’s 2023 congress — the gathering at which Ozel had been elected chairman — on the grounds of procedural irregularities. That ruling came amid a sweeping crackdown targeting opponents of President Tayyip Erdogan. As a result of the decision, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the party’s previous leader who had lost to Erdogan in the 2023 presidential race, was restored to the chairmanship.
Ozel delivered a passionate address to CHP members of parliament, saying, “Today, we are on the brink of a sad farewell that has become inevitable and whose time has come. However, we would like to share with the people that we carry the hope of a new beginning.”
