Ousted Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel on  Friday launched a new political party to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, months after a court removed him as head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in a decision his supporters described as politically motivated.

Ozel and 90 other lawmakers formally resigned from the CHP and registered the New political Party - named the “New Party” with the Interior Ministry.

“May it be auspicious for our homeland, our nation, and our party,” Ozel said in a video posted on X after signing his resignation from Turkey’s oldest political party.

In May, an appeals court annulled the 2023 CHP congress that elected Ozel as party leader, citing alleged irregularities, and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The ruling drew strong criticism from Ozel’s supporters, who view it as part of a broader crackdown on the opposition.

Over the past two years, hundreds of CHP mayors and officials have been detained in corruption investigations, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely seen as Erdogan’s strongest rival. Imprisoned since March last year, Imamoglu faces cases that could result in decades-long prison terms. It remains unclear whether he will join the New Party.

With 91 seats in the 600-member parliament, the New Party is expected to become Turkey’s main opposition, replacing the CHP, which now holds 44 seats after the defections. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) controls 277 seats. The government maintains that Turkey’s judiciary operates independently of political influence.