Mehmet Perçinkardeşler, the Republican Turkish Party (TDP) candidate for Kyrenia, appeared on the Masada programme on Ada TV to discuss the election campaign, public expectations and the party's key policy priorities. He said the party has received strong positive feedback from voters on the ground and that concerns about clearing the electoral threshold are now firmly in the past.
"We are no longer at a point where we are talking about the threshold. We are talking about how strongly we will enter parliament and how many seats we will hold. People trust us. They now believe we will be there. We are coming in full force," Perçinkardeşler said.
He stressed that citizens' greatest expectation is a change in the existing order, and that society demands honesty, sincerity and transparency from its politicians. He also noted that all 50 of TDP's parliamentary candidates have pledged to waive all immunity except parliamentary speaking privilege, arguing that clean politics is essential for rebuilding public trust.
Perçinkardeşler drew particular attention to the challenges facing young people, including housing costs and unemployment. Revealing that he himself has sent his own child abroad for education, he said families are deeply worried about whether young people will be able to return and build a life at home. "Buying a home should not be this difficult. Why should our young people think they cannot build a life in their own country?" he asked, adding that stopping the brain drain is among TDP's top priorities.
On culture and the arts, he criticised the lack of adequate support for theatre, painting and ceramics, and pointed out that the State Theatre building has remained unfinished for 26 years. He argued that culture must become a budget priority and cited the work of Nicosia Turkish Municipality Mayor Mehmet Harmancı as a model that could be replicated nationwide.
Perçinkardeşler said expert committees within TDP are working on policies covering digitalisation, social welfare and transparent governance, and concluded: "Making promises is easy. What matters is delivering on them. We will do everything in our power to make that happen."
