Seventeen years have passed since the untimely death of Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, the founding chairperson of the Great Unity Party (BBP), who lost his life along with five others in a helicopter crash during the 2009 local election campaign.
The tragedy occurred on March 25, 2009, when the helicopter, en route from a rally in the Çağlayancerit district of Kahramanmaraş, southern Türkiye, to Yerköy in Yozgat, central Türkiye, went down in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş.
The circumstances of Yazıcıoğlu’s death remain a subject of controversy. Allegations have persisted that he may have been deliberately targeted by political adversaries. Several public officials associated with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) are currently on trial for abuse of office, accused of obstructing the investigation into the crash and delaying critical rescue operations.
Yazıcıoğlu had been an outspoken critic of FETÖ, which for decades sought to infiltrate political parties. His family has repeatedly demanded a thorough investigation into possible FETÖ involvement, particularly after the group’s leader, Fetullah Gülen, reportedly stated in a speech five days following Yazıcıoğlu’s death that he had been “removed with a divine blow.”
Yazıcıoğlu’s funeral on March 31, 2009, at Kocatepe Mosque was attended by thousands, with his coffin draped in the Turkish flag and adorned with flowers. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried at Taceddin Dergahı.
On this occasion, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid tribute to Yazıcıoğlu's death
In a message shared on his social media account, Erdoğan stated, "I commemorate my brother Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, who holds a distinguished place in the memory of the Turkish nation with his unwavering will, principled stance, deep loyalty to his country and people, and his heartfelt manner of speaking, on the 17th anniversary of his martyrdom. May God grant him a place in paradise."
Born on Dec. 31, 1954, in the village of Elmalı in the Şarkışla district of Sivas, Yazıcıoğlu began his political journey at an early age. At 14, he joined the Young Nationalists Movement, and by the time he moved to Ankara at 18, he was actively working at the Ülkü Ocakları General Center, eventually serving as its president.
In 1978, he became the founding chair of the Ülkücü Youth Association, and in 1980, he served as a chief adviser to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Yazıcıoğlu strongly believed in the development of Anatolian youth and emphasized education as a means to serve the nation. At just 24, he wrote to then-President Fahri Korutürk, stating, “Hands should hold pens, not weapons.”
Following the 1980 military coup, he was tried in the “MHP and Idealist Organizations Case” and spent a total of 7.5 years in prison, including 5.5 years in solitary confinement, but was ultimately acquitted.
After his release, he continued his political career, serving as deputy secretary-general of the Nationalist Work Party (MÇP). In 1991, he was elected as a deputy from Sivas, and in 1993, he established the Great Unity Party (BBP), assuming the role of founding chairperson. Through strategic alliances and political maneuvers, he returned to Parliament in subsequent elections, reinforcing his influence in Turkish politics.
The 2009 local elections marked a new chapter in Yazıcıoğlu’s political approach, as he chartered a helicopter for the first time to attend a rally in Kahramanmaraş. He emphasized that the BBP was unique in conducting politics without state funding, noting: “We are the only party that conducts politics without state funding. For the first time, we are holding a rally using a helicopter. We are ambitious in the elections.”
Beyond his political career, Yazıcıoğlu was also a poet and veterinarian, with his writings reflecting themes of hope, love and patriotism. His legacy is preserved through institutions, mosques, streets, parks, schools and foundations named in his honor across Sivas, Anatolia and in countries like Pakistan. Annual commemorations include climbs to the crash site, attended by hundreds of supporters, keeping his memory alive in the public consciousness.
