Erdal Beşikçioğlu reveals the mayor he takes as a role model

There is less than 3 months left until the local elections. CHP has nominated actor Erdal Beşikçioğlu, who is etched in memory for his role as Behzat Ç., as its candidate for the Etimesgut district of Ankara.

WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE NOMINATION PROCESS?

Speaking to Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü, Beşikçioğlu explained the details of the nomination process.

Beşikçioğlu stated that CHP Ankara Provincial Chair Dr. Ümit Erkol called him to make the offer, and when he responded, "I am an artist. I don't understand municipal administration," Erkol replied, "Erdalcığım, the current mayor's profession is accountant. We have doctors, contractors, and barbers. Being a mayor is about service. We need your service and your knowledge." Beşikçioğlu then met with CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and Provincial Chair Ümit Erkol, and explained that he accepted the offer by saying, "I have been doing theater for ten years; I couldn't bring a single politician to my stage. Since that's the case, I am stepping onto the political stage."

Beşikçioğlu noted the following:

"I WILL WORK WITH A FOCUS ON SERVICE REGARDLESS OF PARTIES"

"Let's say I stepped into service, not politics. I won't make promises. I will try to create a structure that can embrace social peace within the scope of needs. Fanaticism has begun to emerge between parties in the country. This also affects service. I will try to carry out actions that are more inclusive and focused solely on service, regardless of their parties. I have been involved in this for 15 days. I want to travel a lot and chat a lot. Providing social support is my greatest desire and wish."

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND RENT-SEEKING, AND I DON'T LIKE RENT-BASED POLITICS AT ALL"

"Frankly, I don't understand rent-seeking, and I don't like rent-based politics at all. I will try to establish a structure where the public governs itself through a more participatory municipal approach that raises the socio-cultural and intellectual level within itself.

This seems like a utopia, but it is about human relationships. If I can enter their hearts and make them believe in the words I say, I think we can reach the happiness in that neighborhood that I desire. Our mayor has done everything he could, thank you. What he has done is of great value to us, of course, but in some structures, you can build the building, but when the operation inside remains empty, that building really has no meaning. Now I look, a cultural center has been built. The inside of the Cultural Center is empty. They wanted to act in cooperation with the state theaters, which seems very strange to me. If the State Theater is going to be there, there was no need for the municipality to build that cultural center. The state could have built the cultural center anyway."

"MY BUSINESS IS PEOPLE"

"We will try to bring to the forefront plays that examine the sociological structure of Etimesgut and can touch people, and make them suitable for our own neighborhood. Social aid is the same. There are very young families, meaning there are 3-person families at the age of 30 or 35, but when a grandmother is added, we saw that these two young individuals have great difficulty in maintaining their family. We will relieve the young members of the family. I believe that as long as we help and people's faces start to smile, that is when we will start real production. My business is people. Yes, I don't know rent-seeking, but I know people, their hearts, their desires, and their wishes very well. My audience will now be called voters. Frankly, that is the part that hurts me the most. Yet, each of my audience members is a treasure I have accumulated since my time at the state theater."

STATEMENT ON MANSUR YAVAŞ

Regarding his relationship with Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Beşikçioğlu said, "By God, if Mayor Mansur, our Metropolitan Mayor, calls and says 'Erdal, come here,' I would go running. I get this energy from my audience. I cannot have any problems with Mayor Mansur. And believe me, Mayor Mansur cannot have any problems with me. We have sat and talked for hours when we went to shoot Behzat Ç. We both know each other well. When ideals are shared, the rest becomes a detail."

"I TAKE YILMAZ BÜYÜKERŞEN AS A ROLE MODEL"

Explaining that he takes Eskişehir Mayor Yılmaz Büyükerşen as a role model, Beşikçioğlu stated that Büyükerşen raised the intellectual level of Eskişehir and turned its residents into conscious citizens. Explaining that he also takes the social municipalism of Mansur Yavaş and Murat Karayalçın as examples, Beşikçioğlu continued his words as follows;

"If the Etimesgut mayoral candidates also use their appreciation in my favor, I think I will continue on this path. Because there is a young family structure between the ages of 35-40, and a very young mass between the ages of 14-19, and I think I can touch these masses.

Erdoğan said to the state theaters; 'Oh, these artists have gone too far. We pay their money, they will do what we want.' The state theaters had an autonomous structure within themselves. Regardless of which view they belonged to, plays of that diversity had to be performed. After that speech, the change began, and that is why I resigned. It's a good thing he said that."