Switched over to civil service, he firstly was appointed Assistant Chief Physician at the Psychology Clinic of Şişli Children's Hospital in Istanbul. He later became the chief of that clinic. Between 1972-1973, Aktuna sojourned in Austria to pursue advanced studies in neurology and electroencephalography at the Neurological Clinic of the University of Vienna. In 1979, Yıldırım Aktuna was appointed Chief Physician of the Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital in Istanbul, the largest of its art in the country. He modernized the hospital, and devoted himself to raise consciousness for public mental health and to develop contemporary policies on this subject. He established in 1983 an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center within this hospital, the first facility in Turkey to conduct medical and psychotherapeutic treatment and research for dependency on psychoactive substances as well. For these activities, he was honored several times by various organizations.
Politics
Yıldırım Aktuna resigned from his post on December 30, 1988, and entered politics joining the Social Democratic Populist Party. On March 26, 1989, he was elected district mayor of Bakırköy in Istanbul, where he was much respected. After serving two and half years in the regional politics, Aktuna quit his post and joined the True Path Party on August 27, 1991. Following the general elections, he entered the parliament on October 20, 1991 as a deputy of Istanbul. Yıldırım Aktuna served between 1991-1993 as Minister of Health in the cabinet of Süleyman Demirel. In 1993, Tansu Çiller appointed him Minister of State and government spokesman in her cabinet. After serving two years, he became Minister of Health again between 1996 and 1997 in the cabinets of Mesut Yılmaz and later of Necmettin Erbakan. From 1997 to 1999, Aktuna served Minister of State in the cabinet of Mesut Yılmaz. During his duty as Minister of Health, he prepared a healthcare reform programme and organized twice national healthcare congresses. Furthermore, he continued to support all the activities he initiated at the Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital. Yıldırım Aktuna left the True Path Party on May 30, 1996 keeping his membership in the parliament as an independent deputy. On July 1, 1997, he joined "Party for a Democratic Turkey", which was founded some months ago by unsatisfied DYP politicians, and was appointed vice president by its leader Hüsamettin Cindoruk. He served as minister in the coalition cabinets from 1996 to 1998. However, he returned to DYP on November 24, 2001. Finally, he joined in 2003 the Liberal Democratic Party, a small party with leadership problems at that time.
