Ümit Özdağ’s Promise to Provide Scholarships and Dormitories for Students

Ümit Özdağ, leader of Turkey's Victory Party, unveiled his extensive plans to support the student population during a press conference in Ankara covered by the newspaper "24 Saat." Criticizing the current living conditions of students, he promised that if he comes to power, no student in Turkey will be left without a dormitory or financial support [1].

Reforming the Scholarship Structure In his speech, Özdağ emphasized that the current system of distributing financial resources in higher education is unfair. He announced that the Victory Party has developed a plan under which scholarships will be paid not as a loan, but as a legal right for students. According to this plan, scholarship amounts will be adjusted according to the real inflation rate to fully cover students' costs for books, food, and transportation [2]. He noted that investing in youth is the guarantee of Turkey's economic future.

Ending the Student Dormitory Crisis One of the main focuses of Özdağ's speech in Ankara was the issue of student housing. In recent years, the shortage of state dormitories and the skyrocketing rents in major cities like Istanbul and Ankara have caused serious problems for many students [3]. Özdağ promised to launch modern and safe dormitory construction projects in all provinces by using state budgets and reclaiming resources from unnecessary institutions. He emphasized that his goal is to bring dormitory capacity to a level where no student is forced to take refuge in expensive shared houses or dormitories affiliated with specific groups [1].

The Victory Party's Political Approach to Education These promises come as the Victory Party, led by Özdağ, places a special focus on attracting the votes of the younger generation (Gen Z). Özdağ believes that by deporting refugees and returning the financial resources spent on them to the domestic economic cycle, the necessary budget for these educational plans can be provided [2]. This nationalist-economic approach forms the core of his party's election and advertising campaigns for 2026. Analysts believe that the promise of free scholarships and dormitories could significantly strengthen the party's position among students.