Özlale resigns from İYİ Party amid exodus

IZMIR

Lawmaker Ümit Özlale announced his resignation from the İYİ (Good) Party on Sept. 12 via an X post.

His decision marks the latest in a series of departures that have whittled down the party's parliamentary presence from 44 seats won in last year’s general elections to just 30.

İYİ Party’s vote share plummeted to just 3.77 percent in the local polls on March 31 from 7.3 percent in previous elections.

Özlale ran as a mayoral candidate in the western city of İzmir and garnered 3.64 percent of the vote.

The race was dominated by Cemil Tugay of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, who won with nearly 49 percent. Özlale also trailed candidates from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).

The results led Meral Akşener to step down and announce she would not seek reelection. Subsequently, Müsavat Dervişoğlu was elected as the new head of the party during a congress on April 27.

Özlale had previously resigned from the party on April 8 but returned to serve as a board member under Dervişoğlu’s leadership.