Özgür Özel

On 21 May 2026, a court annulled the 2023 congress that had elected Özel and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. A few days later, riot police forcibly cleared the former leadership from CHP headquarters.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

On 24 July 2026, Özel and 90 dissident parliamentarians launched the "New Party" following the CHP's judicial crisis. The new party immediately became Parliament's second-largest political group; Ekrem İmamoğlu joined it in August.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

In March 2026, Özel presented documents and estimates claiming that property bought or sold by Akın Gürlek involved very large sums. Gürlek, by then Justice Minister, replied that some documents were "false and fabricated", published his own account of his assets and announced legal action.

Attribution

Personally implicated

In 2025, several separate investigations were opened against Özgür Özel over remarks made at rallies concerning Istanbul chief prosecutor Akın Gürlek, including for "threatening to prevent a judicial official from performing their duties" and "publicly insulting a public official".

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following İmamoğlu's arrest, Özel and the CHP called for a boycott of certain groups and companies perceived as close to the government or as failing to cover the demonstrations. The movement expanded into a call for a day without purchases and prompted prosecutors to open an investigation into boycott appeals.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In April 2025, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan brought a damages claim for 500,000 lira and announced a criminal complaint after Özel described him, among other things, as a "putschist/juntacı" amid the crackdown targeting the CHP.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

In November 2025, Özel accused Akın Gürlek, then Istanbul's chief prosecutor, of simultaneously serving on the board of Etimine in Luxembourg and receiving remuneration. Public documents examined by DW confirmed a period of board membership, but the exact payment and its legal compatibility became the subject of political and judicial dispute. Gürlek brought a damages action.

Attribution

Personally implicated