Yılmaz Büyükerşen

Yılmaz Büyükerşen (born 8 November 1937) is a Turkish politician, educator and former mayor of Eskişehir.

Biography Born to a Crimean Tatar father and Bulgarian immigrant mother. Büyükerşen graduated from the Eskişehir Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (later renamed Anadolu University) in 1962. During his academy years, he worked as a reporter, columnist, caricaturist and editor in various newspapers. With his friends from the academy, he established a chamber theatre and later a municipal theatre with funds raised by selling their blood to blood banks.

Following his graduation, he was offered an assistantship at the finance department of the academy. In 1966, he earned his PhD. In 1968, he became associate professor; and in 1973, he became professor. Also in 1973, he prepared a model for open universities in Turkey. In 1976, he was elected as chairman of the Eskişehir Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences. In July 1998 he was awarded an honorary degree from the British Open University as Doctor of the University.

In the 2014 local elections, he was re-elected with 45% of the vote.