Ümit Özdağ

Ümit Özdağ (; born 3 March 1961) is a Turkish politician who returned to his position as the current leader of the Victory Party after being released from prison on 17 June 2025. Also, prior to his arrest, he had served as the leader of the Victory Party from 26 August 2021 to 21 January 2025.

He was deputy leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) from November 2015 to February 2016. He announced his candidacy for the party leadership for the 8th MHP Ordinary Congress in 2006, but had his membership revoked two days later. After returning to the party following a successful lawsuit, he again announced his candidacy for the MHP leadership in April 2016 for the 2016 Nationalist Movement Party Extraordinary Congress, which was eventually called off after numerous legal disputes. He had his party membership revoked by the MHP High Disciplinary Board on 15 November 2016 joined the Good Party. In April 2019, he resigned from party's executive board but announced that he will continue to be in the party and continue his party-related activities. On 16 November 2020, Özdağ was also dismissed from the Good Party. He founded the right wing anti-immigrant Victory Party on 26 August 2021 and was elected the first chairman.

Early life Ümit Özdağ was born on 3 March 1961 in Tokyo, Japan, where his father Muzaffer Özdağ served as a Turkish government advisor after the Coup d'état of 1960. His father was of Kumyk descent, born in Pınarbaşı to a family originally from Dagestan.

His mother, Gönül Özdağ, who is a former lawyer, is the founder and first president of the MHP women's wing. His father was a close ally of MHP founder Alparslan Türkeş, and served as a member of the National Unity Committee that was installed following the 1960 Turkish coup d'état.

Özdağ studied philosophy, politics and economics at LMU Munich, His candidacy was rejected and his party membership was revoked two days later, with incumbent leader Devlet Bahçeli being re-elected. Özdağ subsequently returned to Gazi University as a lecturer. He returned to the MHP in 2010 following a successful lawsuit, being fielded as a parliamentary candidate from İstanbul's second electoral district for the 2011 general election. Being in fourth place in his party's candidate list, he was not elected.

Second MHP leadership bid During the 11th Nationalist Movement Party Ordinary Congress, he was elected as a member of the MHP Central Executive Committee. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Gaziantep in the June 2015 general election and was re-elected in the November 2015 general election. On 14 November, he became a Deputy Leader of the Party responsible for the Turkish world and international relations.

Özdağ resigned as deputy leader on 24 February 2016, calling for the party to hold an extraordinary congress following its heavy defeat in the November 2015 election. He announced his candidacy for the party leadership on 9 April 2016 after fellow leadership candidates began collecting delegate signatures for an extraordinary congress. The process of holding the 2016 Nationalist Movement Party Extraordinary Congress became embroiled in legal disputes and was eventually disbanded after an intervention from the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey. On 20 October, Özdağ was again referred to the MHP High Disciplinary Board pending dismissal from the party, which took effect on 15 November 2016.

Özdağ claimed that his dismissal also originated from his opposition to an executive presidency, which Devlet Bahçeli supported. The MHP announced that they would jointly draft a new constitution that included an executive presidency with the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) in October 2016.

Victory Party In August 2021, he announced the foundation of the Victory Party, a far-right, anti-immigrant political party, whose logo was inspired by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Seljuk leader Alp Arslan. In May 2022 he had an altercation with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who amongst other statements deemed him a puppet of George Soros, "not a human, lower than an animal" during a TV broadcast. In response, Özdağ challenged to see Soylu at his ministry, and that if he was "man enough" should not hide behind the Turkish police.

According to a Bloomberg analysis, the average likes Ümit Özdağ got on Twitter in May 2022 exceeded Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Arrest

An investigation was launched against Ümit Özdağ for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Özdağ was detained on January 20, 2025. A day later, on January 21, he was arrested on charges of "publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility or insulting them". Some of the posts were related to the 2024 anti-refugee riots in Turkey. On 17 June, Özdağ was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for the charges, but was ordered released by the same court due to time served in pre-trial detention.

In June 2026, he was fined 8.700 lira by a court for "insulting the memory of Sheikh Said". Özdağ stated that the sentence would be appealed. Özdağ had called Said a "traitor".

Personal life Özdağ is divorced and has one son. He speaks Turkish, English and German.

Electoral history Parliamentary As an MP Election Constituency Party Votes Seats Elected # % Rank June 2015 Gaziantep Nationalist Movement Party 165,917 17.7% 2nd Gaziantep 91,9979.5% 4th 2018 Istanbul (II) Good Party 204,598 7.58% 5th 2023 Gaziantep Victory Party 37,998 3.25% 7th

As a party leader Election Party Votes Seats Position # % Rank # ± 2023 Victory Party 1,215,264 2.23% 7th new

Books

Değişen Dünya Dengeleri ve Basra Körfezi Krizi, 1990 Atatürk ve İnönü Dönemlerinde Ordu-Siyaset İlişkisi, Menderes ve İnönü Döneminde Ordu-Siyaset İlişkileri ve 27 Mayıs İhtilali, 1996, Türkiye, Kuzey Irak ve PKK - Bir Gayri Nizami Savaşın Anatomisi, 1999 Türkiye-Avrupa Birliği İlişkileri, 2003 Türkiye'de Düşük Yoğunluklu Çatışma ve PKK, 2005 Yeniden Türk Milliyetçiliği, 2006, Gelecek 1000 Yılda da Buradayız, 2006, Kürtçülük Sorununun Analizi ve Çözüm Politikaları, 2006, Atatürk ve İnönü Dönemlerinde Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, 2006, Türk Ordusunun PKK Operasyonları, 2007, Kerkük, Irak ve Ortadoğu, 2007, Türk Ordusunun Kuzey Irak Operasyonları, 2008, Telafer: Bir Türkmen Kentinin Amerikan Ordusu ve Peşmergelere Karşı Savaşı, 2008, İstihbarat Teorisi, 2008, PKK Neden Bitmedi Nasıl Biter - Kürtçülük Sorununun Analizi ve Çözüm Politikaları, 2008 Pusu ve Katliamların Kronolojisi, 2009, Ermeni Psikolojik Savaşı, (Prof. Dr. Özcan Yeniçeri ile), 2009, Cumhuriyetin En Uzun Dört Yılından Geçerken Türk Sorunu, 2010 Türk Ordusu PKK’yı Nasıl Yendi, Türkiye PKK’ya Nasıl Teslim Oluyor, 2010, Doğu Raporu, (İkbal Vurucu ve Ali Aydın Akbaş ile birlikte), 2011, İkinci Tek Parti Dönemi - AKP'nin Yumuşak Hegemon Parti Projesinin Anatomisi, 2011 Küçük Orta Doğu: Suriye, 2012, 21. Yüzyılda Prens, 2012, Algı Yönetimi: Propaganda, Psikolojik Savaş, Örtülü Operasyon ve Enformasyon Savaşı, 2014, İstihbarat Örgütleri, 2015, Milli Güvenlik Teorisi, 2015, Türk Dış Politikası, (Yelda Demirağ ile birlikte), 2016, PKK İle Pazarlık: Öcalan İle Anayasa Yapmak, 2016, Türk'ün Vatanla İmtihanı, 2017, 100.Yılında Birinci Dünya Savaşı, 2017 Türk Dış Politikasını Nasıl Bilirdiniz, (Yelda Demirağ ile Birlikte), 2017, İstihbarat Örgütleri, 2017 Cesetler Gölgeler Yalanlar, 2017, İkinci Tek Parti Dönemi, 2017, Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa'nın 100.Yılında Türk İstihbaratı, 2017 21. Yüzyılda Türk Dünyası Jeopolitiği, 2017, Türk Sorunu, 2017, Kendi Ülkesinde Kuşatılan ve Bölünen Ordu: Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, 2019, Kaçınılmaz Çöküş, 2019, Türk Dış Politikasında Hasar Tespiti, 2019, Stratejik Göç Mühendisliği, 2020, Saray Rejiminin Çöküşü ve Türkiye'nin Yükselişi, 2021,