The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party, has elected a new leader, Oğuzel Özil, to replace Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had led the party for 13 years. This leadership change comes as the country prepares for significant local elections in March 2024.

Oğuzel Özil, a 49-year-old, has been serving as the Deputy Head of the Parliamentary Group for the CHP since 2015 and has been a member of parliament since 2011. He announced his candidacy in September after the party’s painful defeat under Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership in the presidential and general elections held in May.

During the party conference held in Ankara, Oğuzel Özil received 812 votes out of a possible 1,366, following a tense gathering that lasted for hours and included two rounds of voting.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had faced criticism since his defeat in the elections due to his refusal to step down from the leadership of the CHP, a party founded by the modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Throughout his 13-year tenure, the CHP struggled to surpass the historical 25% threshold of national support.