Turkish opposition elects new leader ahead of March local elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Turkish opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) elected a new leader in anticipation of the upcoming local elections in March.

At the party's annual congress held on Saturday evening, Kemal Kilicdaroglu was replaced by Ozgur Ozel through a majority vote.

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Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who had led an alliance of six parties, lost the elections to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's alliance in May.

"Turkey's main opposition party dumped its embattled leader Kilicdaroglu in favour of Ozgur Ozel, young, energetic CHP lawmaker, after squandering what many viewed as the opposition's best chance to end two decades of Erdogan's rule," Gonul Tol, director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute, said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The CHP's decision to change leadership comes in preparation for the March municipal elections.

The Turkish election campaign has already commenced.

Read More: Turkey Elections: HDP retains key cities, loses others as CHP claims Ankara, Istanbul

In 2019, the CHP secured victories in both Istanbul and Ankara with the support of the Kurds. President Erdogan is now aiming to reclaim control of these two cities.