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PoliticsTurkey

Turkey's Ozel launches new party to challenge Erdogan

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Sarah Kelly | Dorian Jones
July 22, 2026

Former CHP leader Ozgur Ozel is set to launch a political party after his removal from office through a court ruling.

Turkey's former CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has announced the formation of a new political party, calling it a historic moment for Turkish democracy. Ozel was removed from his position through a court ruling that his supporters describe as a judicial intervention. According to DW correspondent Dorian Jones, the new party could broaden the opposition's appeal beyond the CHP by attracting support from Kurdish voters, Turkish nationalists and religious conservatives. Early opinion polls suggest strong backing for a party led by Ozel. The move comes amid growing public frustration over Turkey's cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation, potentially increasing pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP government.

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