Calendar clarifies for Özgür Özel's new party preparations: July 27 emerges for the founding petition
In Ankara political circles, it is being discussed that Özgür Özel and his team will file for a new party next week, and that 85-90 deputies could switch in the first phase.
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Discussions that began following the court ruling regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP have accelerated the new party preparations of Özgür Özel and his team. In Ankara political circles, it is being discussed that Özel could submit the founding petition to the Ministry of Interior early next week, and that the calendar for the transition from the CHP to the new formation will be clarified during this process.
According to the behind-the-scenes report on BBC Türkçe, eyes have turned to the new political structure following the group meeting held by Özel in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on Tuesday, July 21, which was interpreted as a "farewell speech." Özel is expected to meet with his staff on Wednesday, July 22, to make final assessments regarding the party name, founding date, resignation calendar, and deputy transitions.
CALENDAR AND PARLIAMENTARY BALANCES
In political circles, the date that stands out for the new party's founding petition is Monday, July 27. It is stated that the party name has not yet been finalized, but the name "New Party" stands out among the options. It is also stated that logo and program work are ongoing.
It is being discussed that 85-90 deputies could join the new formation in the first stage, and according to some estimates, this number could approach 100. If such a picture emerges, it would be possible for the CHP to lose its position as the main opposition in the TBMM, and for the new party to become the main opposition party in Parliament.
Özgür Özel is planned to be the chairman of the new party. It is assessed that deputy transitions could have significant consequences in terms of the party's group structure in Parliament, its representation in commissions, and its weight in the Presidential Council. However, the increase in the number of deputies will not, by itself, provide eligibility to participate in elections or the right to Treasury aid.
In the background of the process lies the cancellation of the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress by a court ruling and the return of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the position of chairman. It is stated that the calls for an extraordinary congress by Özel's team did not find a response under Kılıçdaroğlu's management, and for this reason, the new party option has gained momentum.
The file regarding the absolute nullity ruling was sent by the Regional Court of Justice to the Court of Cassation for appellate review shortly before July 20, when the judicial recess begins. In political circles, it is stated that a decision is not expected from the Court of Cassation in the short term; therefore, Özel and his team are focusing on new party efforts to avoid being caught unprepared for a possible early election.
ELECTION PARTICIPATION AND FINANCING
Whether the new party will be able to enter elections is one of the most critical topics of the founding process. With the amendment made in 2022, forming a group in the TBMM is no longer sufficient on its own for a political party to participate in a general election. According to the current regulation, the party must be organized in at least 41 provinces and must have held its grand congress at least six months before the election.
For this reason, it is stated that the Özel team aims to carry out organization efforts simultaneously with the group structure in Parliament. In addition, the plan to keep a political party that has the eligibility to enter elections in reserve against the possibility of a legal obstacle in the event of a possible early or snap election is also among the topics discussed in political circles.
Regarding financing, the new party is not expected to receive Treasury aid in the first stage. This is because state aid is calculated not according to the number of deputies political parties have in Parliament, but according to the vote percentage they received in the last parliamentary general election. Since the newly established party did not participate in the 2023 elections, it will not be able to benefit from this right.
It is stated that the party's income will consist of membership dues, deputy dues, donations, party publications, event revenues, and other legal sources specified in the Law on Political Parties. To benefit from Treasury aid, it will need to receive at least 3 percent of the vote in the first parliamentary general election it participates in.
Regarding the transition of mayors to the new party, a collective call is not expected in the first stage. The reason behind this preference is cited as the concern that mayors joining the new party could face judicial and administrative processes, and the possibility that divisions in municipal councils could lead to crises in local governments.
However, it is stated that the door will not be completely closed to mayors who want to join the new party individually. Transitions are expected to be shaped through personal preferences and local balances rather than a collective directive from the center.
It is stated that the political line of the new party will not mean a break from the fundamental principles of the CHP, and that Atatürk's principles and revolutions, secularism, the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, and social democratic values will be preserved in the program.
The "Turkey Alliance" approach, which Özel has frequently emphasized for the last two years, is also expected to be one of the main discourses of the new formation. In this framework, a broad political line extending from social democrats to conservative democrats, from nationalist democrats to Kurdish democrats, and from socialist democrats to liberal democrats is targeted.