Amsterdam votes | Tuncay Yazar (VVD): “Scrap licensing rules for house sharing”
The municipal elections are just around the corner. For this series, Folia is speaking with various UvA students who are standing for election in Amsterdam on 18 March. Today: Tuncay Yazar (29) of the VVD. “We all have to foot the bill for the damage caused by vandalism during demonstrations.”
Why should Amsterdam UvA students vote for you?
“Students should above all vote for a party whose norms and values align with their own. Everyone wants the best for Amsterdam and supports you in their own way. The most important thing is that you go out and vote. Turnout in the municipal elections drops dramatically because people in districts such as Noord, Nieuw-West and Zuidoost feel unheard. I understand that, and I hope to restore at least some of those people’s trust in politics.”
“For me personally, I’ve always felt a strong desire to do something for others. I’ve always done voluntary work, served on the UvA student council, and I want to make a difference for the people around me.”
With regard to housing, the VVD’s manifesto seems to focus primarily on owner-occupied homes. Is the VVD really the party that will solve the shortage of student housing?
“I’m a man of honesty, so I can never say with one hundred per cent certainty that we will solve it, but we absolutely want to focus on student housing. We believe not enough is being built and we think the licensing rules surrounding house sharing are too strict. Anyone who wants to divide a property into rooms currently has to go through an extensive permit process; as a result, many people simply don’t bother, and rooms remain empty that could perfectly well house students. We want to relax those rules or even scrap them altogether. By allowing three residents per house without a permit, you create more rooms for students.”
“In addition, we do indeed focus on owner-occupied homes, because that benefits everyone. Improved mobility in the housing market then also frees up rental properties.”
Tuncay Yazar (29) is currently in the final stage of his Master’s degree in Employment Law at the UvA. He previously completed a Master’s degree in Constitutional and Administrative Law. During his studies, he founded his own legal consultancy firm. He was born and raised in Osdorp and now lives in the centre of Amsterdam. Yazar is placed sixth on the VVD’s candidate list.
The VVD argues that abuse of the right to demonstrate should not be tolerated. What does that mean for students who want to protest at the UvA?
“Demonstrating is allowed and is in fact extremely important. I say that as a law student. It is at the very heart of the democratic rule of law, and I genuinely stand by it, even when I disagree with the cause. At the same time, we are currently seeing a great deal of abuse of this right, by protesters who vandalise and occupy buildings. We all have to foot the bill for that damage. That is why demonstrations must remain within the legal framework. In saying this, we are simply reiterating a standard that already exists, but is not always enforced.”
“As for the ban on face-covering clothing: privacy is important, but we do need to strike a balance. We must be able to enforce the law when things go wrong. If you are completely covered, enforcement becomes difficult.”
