Tepebaşı Mayor Ataç Ends 54-Year CHP Membership, Joins YENİ Party
Eskişehir's Tepebaşı Mayor Ahmet Ataç announced his resignation from the CHP, of which he has been a member since 1972, via social media.
Eskişehir Tepebaşı Mayor Ahmet Ataç announced on Saturday, August 8, through his social media account that he has resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP). Ataç had been a CHP member since 1972 — that is, for 54 years.
Ataç stated that he will continue his political struggle under the banner of YENİ Party, founded by Muharrem İnce. In his statement, Ataç emphasized that he believes 'principles, not individuals and offices, should be the determining factor,' and said he will maintain his commitment to Atatürk's vision of a contemporary Turkey.
Ataç's departure is not merely a symbolic loss for the CHP; it represents the defection of a mayor who effectively governs the Tepebaşı district from opposition ranks. This rupture in a city where the CHP controls the metropolitan authority directly affects calculations for the 2028 local elections. YENİ Party has for the first time obtained a mayor-level position since its founding.
Sources — how we know this
- PrimaryCumhuriyet Gazetesi