PARIS
Oben Ayyildiz, a 27-year-old Turkish independent mayoral candidate from a Paris suburb, claims that his assertiveness disturbed the candidates from the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), the former French ruling party in the region.
The UMP, once led by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, won the municipal elections in Paris’ Epinay-Sur-Seine region in the last two-election terms. However, Ayyildiz said that the people in the region are very displeased with the incumbent UMP mayoral candidate, Hevre Chevreau (58), whose chances are low in the election bid.
“Former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s lawyer has threatened to sue me, claiming that we copied our banner from Chevreau. Just think; the lawyer of the ex-president are engaging in our work. They fear us and are making threats. I am also a lawyer. Everybody who sees our banner will understand that their claims are baseless,” said Ayyildiz.
Sorbonne University Law Faculty graduate, Ayyildiz is engaged in politics since he was 17, and says that now it is time for young people to take action and have a role in politics.
The young candidate thinks that his youth and education will create an advantage for him in the elections.
The French local elections is set to start on March 23.
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