Yeni Parti, which holds the largest number of seats among opposition parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, will convene its first ordinary congress on November 14-15 at the Ankara Arena Sports Hall. The party was established on May 21 as Turkey's 189th political party and will use the congress to complete its first major internal democratic process.
The congress calendar was launched on August 26, with primary elections and congresses held across districts and provinces to select over 1,000 delegates. The Party Council (PM) formally confirmed the congress dates at its October 28 meeting.
Party leader Özgür Özel will face a membership primary on November 8 across all 81 provinces before the congress. Members who register by November 5 will be eligible to vote. At the congress itself, delegates will elect the party leader, an 80-member PM, and a 15-member Supreme Disciplinary Council (YDK) by secret ballot.
Under party statutes, a candidate for party leader must secure written nominations from at least five percent of the full delegate count. If no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first two rounds, the candidate with the most votes in the third round is elected. Özel is expected to run unopposed, with the congress likely to proceed under a block-list system. He is also anticipated to make significant changes to the PM and the Central Executive Committee (MYK).
The congress will be held under the supervision of Turkey's Supreme Electoral Council, with a two-day window for objections to results. Following the congress, the newly elected leader, PM, and YDK members will visit Anıtkabir on Saturday, November 21, after which the PM will convene to determine MYK membership. Accreditation will be required for press members, while spectators and representatives of other political parties will also be invited.
