31.10.2026 14:40
BBP Chairman Mustafa Destici recounted his memories of Alparslan Türkeş dating back many years. Destici’s remarks drew attention as he described how Türkeş personally trained young people despite his advancing age and the vigils held in front of his house on snowy Ankara nights.
Mustafa Destici, Chairman of the Great Unity Party (BBP), shared unforgettable memories of the late Alparslan Türkeş, the founding leader of the MHP, on a television program he appeared on. Stating that Türkeş was their first political leader and Başbuğ, Destici recounted particularly striking events they experienced after 1985.
AT THE AGE OF 70, HE WALKED UP 8 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS
Emphasizing the importance Türkeş placed on young people's education, Destici said that after Türkeş was released from prison in 1985, he frequently came to the Ocak General Headquarters in the Sezen Apartment Building in Sıhhiye.
Destici stated that even when the elevator was not working, Türkeş, despite being in his 70s, walked up the 8 flights of stairs, and said that Türkeş personally taught lessons to young people.
Destici recounted those days with these words:
“The late Türkeş, after being released in 1985, would come to our Ocak General Headquarters located in the Sezen Apartment Building in Sıhhiye and give seminars. Sometimes the elevator would not work; despite being in his 70s, he would walk up those 8 flights of stairs. He personally taught a special training group consisting of school, faculty, and dormitory presidents and General Headquarters management. He would teach history, Europe, America, and recent political history; he cared that much about the youth.”
POLICE WERE ON WATCH AT ECEVİT’S HOUSE, YOUNG PEOPLE AT TÜRKEŞ’S HOUSE
Another memory Destici recounted reached back to Ankara after 1980. Stating that in his youth they kept watch in front of Türkeş’s house in Oran, Destici said that Bülent Ecevit, one of the important political figures of the period, also lived around the same apartment building.
Describing the different watch arrangements in front of the two leaders’ houses, Destici said he could not forget the heavy snowfall that brought life in Ankara to a standstill.
Destici recounted those days they experienced as follows:
“At that time, Türkeş’s house was in Oran. The late Bülent Ecevit lived in the adjacent apartment building. While police officers waited in front of Ecevit’s house, we, the young people of the Ocak, would keep watch in front of Türkeş’s house. Once, so much snow fell that transportation stopped and minibuses did not run. We stayed on watch there for 3 nights with a small heater.”