Özgür Çelik has been elected as the Istanbul provincial chair of the YENİ Parti. Founding Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik was re-elected with 74 thousand 644 votes in the primary election held in Istanbul, in which he ran as the sole candidate. The results are unofficial. Of the more than 133 thousand members eligible to vote, 74 thousand 663 went to the polls, and 19 votes were deemed invalid.
Çelik, who followed the results at the Zeytinburnu District Headquarters, said in a statement to ANKA that the high turnout in the single-candidate election placed a responsibility on him. “We will not allow the ballot box to be spirited away from the people,” Çelik said. Çelik, who had previously been elected provincial chair three times, said that coming to office this time through the direct vote of the members held a special meaning for him.
Arguing that the economy has been made dependent on foreign powers, Çelik criticized the government over the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu and the actions targeting media organizations. Çelik continued his criticism. He claimed that the developments were aimed at intimidating the opposition and also called on citizens to preserve their hope.
Çelik called on Istanbul residents to join the party. Noting that the party leader will also be determined by member votes in November, Çelik stated that the total number of members is approaching 160 thousand.
Why it matters
The fact that tens of thousands of members went to the polls in a single-candidate primary shows the party’s capacity to mobilize its base and that it is using the primary as a tool of legitimacy. The real significance of the result will be seen in November: the fact that the party leader will also be determined by member votes makes the Istanbul organization, which is home to the large majority of the total membership approaching 160 thousand, a decisive force in the leadership race. Çelik’s coming to office this time directly through member votes after three terms provides a ground that strengthens his position ahead of that race. The election can also be read as part of the opposition’s effort to turn its own internal democratic practice into a political message aimed at the government, at a time when İmamoğlu’s arrest and the actions targeting media organizations are being debated. The finalization of the unofficial results and who will run in the November race are the open questions of the period ahead.
Background
Istanbul is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 19 stories featuring this name in the last 90 days; the most recent one is dated October 19, 2026.