 After losing his post to Nurettin Sözen, the candidate of the SHP in the regional elections of 1989, he founded his own party, the Democratic Center Party (Demokrat Merkez Partisi, DMP) on May 17, 1990, and became its leader.The DMP merged on September 14, 1991 with the right-wing, conservative party of Süleyman Demirel, the True Path Party (Doğru Yol Partisi, DYP).In the general elections held that year, he ran for membership of the parliament, and was elected deputy of İstanbul Province.