New Party Preparation by CHP's Elected Cadres: Wait for Wednesday...

Preparations for a new political party in Turkey, spearheaded by figures from the elected leadership of the Republican People's Party (CHP), are gaining momentum. Political scientist Prof. Dr. Barış Övgün, a former member of the CHP's Party Council, indicated that the launch is imminent, particularly following the postponement of a crucial legal review to September.

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We will continue our path in the new party just as we are as elected officials in the Republican People's Party. The new party will be one that never compromises on the Republic and defends it to the end.

Övgün stated that the new party's name, logo, and founding members will be revealed shortly. He emphasized that the party will be established from scratch, not by transforming an existing one. Its political stance will remain distinct from the current policies of the CHP's elected leadership, though its core values are defined as "the Republic and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk." Övgün asserted, "We will continue our path in the new party just as we are as elected officials in the Republican People's Party. The new party will be one that never compromises on the Republic and defends it to the end."

The legal review in question concerns a "nullity" decision, which has reportedly been used as a pressure tool against the CHP for approximately 14 months. Övgün views the delay until September not as a surprise but as a strategy to keep the elected leadership under continuous pressure. He suggested that if the new party garners significant public support, it could potentially lead to the reversal of the nullity decision by the Court of Cassation.

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The main goal is to keep the elected leadership of the CHP constantly confined to this agenda.

However, Övgün cautioned that individuals moving to the new party would not automatically regain their former positions within the CHP if the nullity decision were overturned, due to legal barriers arising from the termination of their party membership. To navigate this, some individuals close to the elected leadership may retain their CHP memberships. Övgün proposed that if the decision is reversed, an interim committee could be formed to lead the party towards a congress.

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If the new party is established, embraced by public opinion, and achieves a strong vote share, it should not be surprising if a decision is made by the Court of Cassation to overturn the absolute nullity decision.