Özgür Özel and 91 Republican People's Party lawmakers resigned and filed registration papers for the New Party with Turkey's Interior Ministry on Thursday, completing a mass defection announced earlier this week after a court annulled the CHP's 2023 leadership election in May.
The split makes the New Party the second-largest group in the Turkish Grand National Assembly with 91 seats, overtaking the CHP, which is reduced to 44 seats and fourth place. The ruling Justice and Development Party retains its majority with 277 seats.
Özel, who was removed when special forces surrounded CHP headquarters on May 24, had initially signalled the party would be registered on July 27 but accelerated the filing to Thursday.