Politics
Özel’s breakaway gamble risks political isolation in Turkish politics
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is facing a deepening internal crisis amid reports that supporters of former party leader Özgür Özel are preparing contingency plans that could include launching a new political party, according to Turkish media reports and party insiders.
The dispute follows a court ruling that effectively restored former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the party leadership, triggering an escalating power struggle between rival factions competing for control of the party’s organization, parliamentary group and future direction.
Several Turkish media outlets reported that figures close to Özel have accelerated preparations for a possible breakaway movement and could announce details of a new political formation as early as this week. The reports claim that organizers have already secured office space in Ankara and are evaluating multiple scenarios, including either establishing a new party or taking over an existing political party with legal eligibility to participate in elections.
Among the options reportedly being discussed are the takeover of smaller political parties, including the Technology Development Party (TEK Party) and the Democrat Party, although no official confirmation has been provided by either camp.
The reports emerged as CHP factions continue to clash over the party’s next steps following the court’s decision and a growing dispute over calls for an extraordinary party congress.
Supporters of Özel have reportedly collected signatures from nearly 1,000 party delegates to force an extraordinary convention aimed at reshaping the party leadership. However, Kılıçdaroğlu’s allies argue that the legal circumstances created by the court ruling prevent such a congress from being convened at this stage.
According to Turkish media reports, members of Kılıçdaroğlu’s circle believe any signatures collected for an extraordinary congress should be directed to the courts rather than the current party administration, citing ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the leadership dispute.
The struggle has also spilled into parliament, where rival factions are contesting control of CHP’s parliamentary group.
Tensions intensified after disciplinary measures were reportedly initiated against senior lawmakers Ali Mahir Başarır and Gökhan Günaydın, both considered close to Özel. Party officials aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu are reportedly seeking to appoint new parliamentary group leaders, while supporters of Özel are preparing their own internal meetings to preserve influence within the parliamentary caucus.
The dispute is expected to reach another critical stage this week as both factions seek authorization to hold separate parliamentary group meetings under their respective leadership claims.
Meanwhile, CHP’s Central Executive Board, chaired by Kılıçdaroğlu, is expected to meet this week amid speculation that further disciplinary actions and organizational changes could be announced, including measures affecting local party organizations and municipal officials.
Reports of a possible new political party have generated mixed reactions within the opposition ranks.
According to party insiders cited by Turkish media, dozens of lawmakers who previously supported calls for an extraordinary congress remain reluctant to leave CHP and join a newly established movement. Several reports suggest that a significant number of deputies and municipal mayors continue to favor remaining within the party despite the ongoing leadership dispute.
Supporters of a potential breakaway argue that a new political movement could distance itself from CHP’s historical baggage and potentially appeal to conservative voters who have traditionally been reluctant to support the party.
However, political observers note that any newly established party would face significant organizational and financial challenges. Unlike CHP, which receives substantial public funding due to its parliamentary representation, a new party would need to build a nationwide organization and campaign structure without immediate access to state financial support.
Adding to speculation, former CHP lawmaker and journalist Mustafa Balbay said during a television appearance that preparations for alternative political structures were underway. Balbay claimed that office space had been secured and contingency plans were being developed to avoid being caught unprepared as the party crisis unfolds.
On the oıther hand, according to party sources cited by Turkish media reports, indicate that nearly 50 lawmakers have individually contacted Kılıçdaroğlu and senior party officials in recent weeks to convey that they have no intention of leaving the CHP to join a potential breakaway movement.
The reports also claim that if Özel were to establish a new party, no more than 60 CHP lawmakers would be expected to resign and join him, a figure significantly lower than earlier estimates circulating within opposition circles.
Moreover, party sources argue that many lawmakers publicly aligned with Manisa lawmaker Özgür Özel have been reluctant to openly express their true positions due to what they describe as intense backlash and criticism on social media.
According to the sources, these lawmakers may continue to maintain their current stance until any potential decision by Özel to part ways with the CHP becomes official.
The sources also claim that, in addition to lawmakers, numerous mayors have remained in contact with the party headquarters and have repeatedly emphasized their intention to remain within the CHP.
Party officials estimate that if Özel were to establish a new political party, no more than 60 lawmakers would leave the CHP to join him. They argue that many of those who might defect are relatively recent additions to the party and do not have deep-rooted ties to the CHP’s political tradition.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet on Oct. 13 in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone on the divided island of Cyprus, according to reports Wednesday.
The meeting between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and is expected to focus on efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures.
The two leaders last met on Sept. 17 at the office of the U.N. Good Offices Mission in the buffer zone. Their closed-door talks, which began at 11 a.m., lasted approximately two hours.
Following the meeting, the U.N. said Erhürman and Christodoulides had exchanged views on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive aspects of the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said after the talks that the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures.
“On the remaining substantive issues, the two sides are only at the stage of listening to each other’s thoughts and views. That is the clear picture,” he said, noting that the meeting was “better” than their previous talks but that the sides remained at the stage of listening to each other’s positions on substantive issues.
He also stressed that concrete progress on the island would be necessary before another meeting could be held in an expanded format.
Erhürman and Christodoulides later traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly following their Sept. 17 meeting. The two leaders did not hold a bilateral meeting during their time in New York, although talks were held between their respective delegations.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
The upcoming Oct. 13 meeting comes as efforts continue to find common ground between the two sides and determine the next steps in the long-running Cyprus issue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Türkiye remains ready to support efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine, stressing the importance of diplomacy aimed at finding a solution to the war.
Erdoğan and Putin discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues during a phone call, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement.
During the call, Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Türkiye was always ready to contribute to initiatives aimed at establishing direct contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and underlined the importance of solution-oriented diplomatic efforts, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Russia relations and other regional and international developments, the directorate said, without providing further details.
Erdoğan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and on his party’s performance in Russia’s Duma elections.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has alleged that vehicles, equipment and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the New Party (YP).
The alleged losses followed a court ruling declaring the CHP’s leadership election legally invalid, triggering a period of internal turmoil and disputes over party property.
According to findings cited by CHP officials, the vehicles and equipment were allegedly taken from party offices across Türkiye’s 81 provinces, Sabah newspaper reported.
Individual criminal complaints have been filed with prosecutors under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chair Tahsin Tarhan, seeking investigations into the missing assets.
The allegations also involve seven district headquarters previously rented by the CHP. Rental agreements were reportedly changed following arrangements with property owners, allowing the buildings to be transferred to the New Party without the CHP leadership’s knowledge.
The affected districts reportedly include Akyurt and Altındağ in Ankara.
A court ruling in a case concerning alleged irregularities at the CHP’s November 2023 convention declared the congress null and void and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party administration.
In late July, following escalating tensions within the party, Özel and 90 lawmakers resigned from the CHP and established the New Party.
Meanwhile, several missing CHP vehicles were reportedly located in industrial repair facilities and scrapyards. Party officials alleged that many returned vehicles had been deliberately damaged, potentially requiring millions of liras in repairs.
The whereabouts of office furniture, computers, sound systems and air conditioning units remain unknown.
CHP officials further alleged that equipment belonging to the party had been transferred to newly established New Party offices.
Turkish defense companies showcased advanced underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms in the western province of Izmir as part of the Türkiye-hosted Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise.
The exhibition at the Port of Alsancak brought together 16 defense companies presenting technologies for underwater operations and mine countermeasures to Turkish and foreign military representatives participating in the exercise.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise is being held from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli. Alongside Turkish forces, the exercise includes units from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
Havelsan presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with the company’s own resources that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters (985 feet).
Zekiye Bilinç Serintuna, Havelsan’s underwater systems group leader, said the platform is equipped with sensors and systems enabling navigation and precise positioning. It can be used for military and civilian missions, including search and rescue, mine countermeasures, pipeline monitoring and ship hull inspections.
Meteksan Defense also showcased underwater acoustic technologies, including sonar systems developed for ships and submarines.
The company introduced two new products at Nusret-2026: the Submarine and Underwater Vehicle Detection System (SUVDES) and the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar System (MİLSAS).
SUVDES is designed for tasks including harbor security, protection of critical facilities and the detection of unmanned maritime vehicles.
State-owned defense manufacturer MKE, meanwhile, displayed several systems developed for naval warfare.
They included the Denizhan national naval gun, the Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle and the Malaman smart bottom mine, alongside infantry rifles used by naval forces.
A total of 20 ships, five aircraft and various unmanned systems are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on mine countermeasures and maritime operations.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will be in Athens on Thursday. Ministry sources said Wednesday that the purpose of the visit was “cooperation in fighting against transboundary crime, terrorist groups and next-generation criminal gangs.”
He is scheduled to meet Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis. Çiftçi’s talks will focus on joint steps in the above-mentioned areas.
The Turkish and Greek officials will discuss extradition of members of criminal gangs and how to enhance cooperation in this area, ministry sources also said.
Çiftçi stepped up Türkiye’s contacts with neighboring countries in the joint fight against transboundary crimes and recently paid visits to Bulgaria and Georgia to this end.
The minister last visited Athens in April for a trilateral meeting with Plevris and Bulgarian Interior Minister Emil Dechev on security-related issues affecting the three neighboring countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that any confrontation between Türkiye and Greece over the Aegean Sea or the island of Cyprus would benefit neither country nor the U.S., stressing Washington’s commitment to preventing tensions between the two NATO allies.
Speaking in an interview with Greek newspaper Kathimerini during a visit to Athens, Rubio dismissed the prospect of a conflict between Ankara and Athens, describing such a scenario as unthinkable.
“It wouldn’t be good for anybody. It wouldn’t be good for Greece. It wouldn’t be good for Türkiye. It wouldn’t be good for the United States,” Rubio underlined, adding that Washington would not allow such a situation to develop.
Rubio also addressed the proposed Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) electricity project linking Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel, acknowledging potential obstacles and emphasizing the importance of diplomatic engagement.
He said Washington intended to use diplomatic channels to encourage solutions, arguing that sensitive disagreements were best addressed through private negotiations.
Highlighting Türkiye’s strategic importance, Rubio noted that Ankara had previously hosted negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and maintained cooperation with Washington on several regional issues.
On Türkiye’s efforts to acquire U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, Rubio reiterated that President Donald Trump supported a potential sale but acknowledged that existing U.S. legislation remained a significant obstacle.
He said restrictions tied to Türkiye’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems must be resolved before Washington could legally proceed with the transfer.
“The issue is the S-400 system,” Rubio said, adding that the matter remained unresolved despite possible diplomatic solutions.
Türkiye was removed from the multinational F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring Russia’s S-400 air defense system, prompting U.S. sanctions despite Ankara’s role as a production partner in the fighter jet program.
The U.S. and Greece announced $4 billion (TL 196.86 billion) in military sales under the Foreign Military Sales program to support Athens’ long-term defense plans, as the two countries pledged Wednesday to strengthen security and economic cooperation.
The announcement followed the sixth round of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, co-chaired by Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, according to a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department.
Both sides said the sales would bolster Greece’s defense capabilities and improve military interoperability, while also pledging to explore further cooperation between their defense industries, particularly in emerging and innovative technologies.
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