Büyükyılmaz: YDP Is Preparing for Its ‘Mastery’ Era

Turan Büyükyılmaz, Deputy Chairman of the Rebirth Party (YDP), appeared as a guest on the programme “A’dan Z’ye” (From A to Z), hosted by Bahar Sancar on Gündem Kıbrıs.

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the YDP’s establishment, Büyükyılmaz stated that the party has undergone a major political struggle. “They said we couldn’t establish it, but we did. They said we couldn’t win parliamentary seats, but we did. They said we couldn’t be in government, but we were. We are now moving beyond our apprenticeship and journeyman phases and preparing for our era of mastery,” he said.

Addressing the removal of Party Leader Erhan Arıklı following the Filojet incident, Büyükyılmaz argued that the decision was taken prematurely without awaiting the results of the official investigation. “Whoever is at fault, including our Chairman, should face the legal consequences. However, we will not accept innocent people being made scapegoats,” he stated.

Commenting on published opinion polls, Büyükyılmaz said the YDP has not commissioned any polls itself, adding: “The party is not in decline; it is on the rise. The greatest poll will be at the ballot box on 6 December.” He expressed his belief that the party would win no fewer than five parliamentary seats.

Recalling that abolishing the mixed-ticket voting system had been one of the YDP’s founding goals, Büyükyılmaz noted that this reform would strengthen political competition based on distinct party manifestos and ideologies.

Drawing attention to Turkey’s role regarding the Cyprus problem, Büyükyılmaz said, “A secure and sustainable solution for the Turkish Cypriot people is impossible without Turkey.” He added that the YDP’s election manifesto will be released to the public once the candidate lists are finalised.