Up to the present, I have been sending you informative e-mails on transformation of state of emergency, still continuing since July 15 military coup attempt, into an opponent hunt; freedom of expression and human rights violations; rapidly growing anti-democratisation; jurisdiction’s functioning completely unlawfully and as a punishment-intimidation mechanism.
I have told the stories of writers, journalists, academicians like Aslı Erdoğan, Pınar Selek, İştar Gözaydın, Necmiye Alpay, Can Dündar, Turhan Günay, İlker Deniz Yücel, Ahmet Şık, who are in prison or stand trial with life imprisonment or have to live in exile. These persons are of course symbols; selected as posters for awareness. There are thousands of people in Turkey who are in same conditions; in prison, standing trials unlawfully and were kicked out of their jobs. And this number is increasing everyday. Freedom of expression has almost been fully intimidated by prohibitions and threats. There is no gurantee for any of us that we are not going to be arrested and stand trial unlawfully.
When I say that above names are symbols; please do not think that I am unwary to reduce them into numbers, disregarding their being humans, their names are given or not; cruelty that they individually faced and trauma inflicted by this.
I have received e-mails from some of you asking me to send an informative essay after the fraudulent referandum for constitution in April. I will do this, however, I want to wait for sometime for things to cool down; false, directive and imposing information to be made public.
When I was writing to you about human rights and freedom of expression violations and fastly growing anti-democratic implementations in Turkey, I was trying to draw your attention to these not being only Turkey’s problems; these are spreading and globally growing problems.
Today, look at the developments in USA, France and many other places in the world. Social benefits are taken back; freedom of expression is tried to be restrained by way of martial laws, etc.; law enforcement officers are treating people more unconcernedly day by day. Nationalism is being pumped, xenophobia is being provoked or even tried to be legalized.
Global agreements to prevent or at least delay the earth’s ecological destruction are being broken or tried to be broken. Decision to keep global warming at an annual constant of two degrees is violated by attempts of implementations like releasing the usage of solid fuel again, etc. because of Trump’s all-is-licit-for-money type aggressive liberalisation. Submerging of many large residential areas and countries starting with Bangladesh is not merely a conspiracy theory. Huge threat ahead is not only ecological. By way of wars pumped in old USSR and Central Europe yesterday, in Middle East today and in some other place tomorrow, millions of people will have to leave their homes and become refugees and asylees.
Today in Turkey, this threat has being constantly kept warm at the social perception by the government since July 15 (2016) coup attempt and all the opponents are being intimidated at this state of vigilance; freedom of expression/freedom of speech is being completely destroyed. This is a very old method: today’s equivalent of John Mack’s “alienism” theory where he explains cold war period. Governments legalize all their illegal budgets, war budgets by creating false enemies and provoking fear of unsecurity.
Yesterday, communism was “the enemy” pumped in whole world, however, persuasiveness of “enemy” ceased with falling down of Eastern Bloc. But creation of “an enemy” was vital for budgets and goverments not to be questioned. Thus, “radical islam” replaced “communism” in accordance with West American political scientist Samuel Huntington’s thesis.
As told in Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations, enemy was created as double-headed in Turkey defined amongst “indecisive” countries trying to fit to another civilization despite belonging to a different one and despite to its people’s opposition. One of the heads was created as “radical islam” due to people!’s admiring the West despite the majority’s being muslim; the other head as “the Kurds” becuase they are local and to overshadow the domestic reactions to the other head.
Let me try to explain the effect of this “alienism” perception. I lived with my grandparents at their farm during my early childhood before elementary school. I only visited the campus where my mother and father were professors during holidays. The lodging where they lived was just accross the movie theater. Those days, we could watched the movies at least 10 years later than they had been produced and I watched all the movies shown while I was at the campus. A film affected me deeply when I was only four-fives years old. Afterwards, I learned that the film was "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956 - Don Siegel). I had started to think that nobody, including my parents, were humans and they could read my brain and I had developed a special language to use in my thoughts. After, two-three years, I had gradually forgotten this language when I had started school. But this forgetting happened at my range of awareness. Including my adulthood, I was told that I was talking in my sleep in an unknown language when I had fever. This unknown language was the one I created with the effect of “alienism” I faced in my early childhood.
Central Europe, old Soviet Union and now Middle East are being re-structured in accordance with conjunctural interests. While an internationalist culture that will ensure global consumption is being imposed, nationalism contradicting to this is being pumped; small new countries, new frontiers, new flags are being created. In parallel, ecology is being ruined cooperatively; climate changes are becoming distinctively perceptible. Wars and climate speed up migration. And the most dangerous new “aliens” are becoming immigrants and refugees. It surely becomes Hollywood’s job to massify latest aliens; in “World War Z” with Brad Pitt (2013 - Marc Foster) adapted from Max Brooks’ book, refugees coming from the East was going to be presented as great threat zombies who would have infected the ones in the West. These are causing to nationalism’s re-wakening in the Western politics and formation of new politics over ethnocentrism targeting especially economically and culturally underclass people. The play is for moreauthoritarian government structures.
I am omitting human rights and freedom of speech violations in Turkey here since I will write in detail about Turkey at the period of state of emergency. But I can say that the West is making a serious mistake if it sees Turkey under today’s Erdogan’s rulership, as a pilot practice for this new totalitarian state ideal. Because, even globalism has been established through internet and television, perception of Asian populations including Turkey where feudalism-simple meta production-capitalism phases have originally not been lived and individualism’s not being developed following these phases naturally, will be seriously misguiding for hypotheses made with a Western view.
But, in Turkey we are in deep trouble and it is increasing quantitatively. Many academicians, journalists, writers, artists, people from every walk of life are in prisons. Every day, new ones are being imprisoned. People are being tried with very heavy punishment demands and against the existing laws. People, who are not in prisons, are seriosly intimidated and silenced down with fear of losing their jobs upon their slightest opposition.
Another weakness of this Asian culture where individualism is embryonic is that everything is carried out over identity politics with past due modernist views. Victims of the same phenomenon do not refrain from othering another one while they are otherised themselves, by being part og discriminators with their identity politics, instead of fighting against the phenomenon. This prevents formation of a seriously wide opposition against injustices in Turkey
As I wrote earlier in detail, Ms Aslı Erdoğan, Ms İştar Gözaydın, Mr Turhan Günay, Ms Necmiye Alpay, Ms Şebnem Korur Ficancı and Ms Esra Mungan were released from prison, however, their trials where aggravated life imprisonment are being demanded proceed. The same is valid for Ms Pınar Selek, Mr Ragıp Zarakoglu, Mr Can Dündar and Ms Filiz Koçali who are in exile. Mr Ayhan Bilgen, Ms Zehra Doğan, Mr Ahmet Şık, Mr Kadri Gursel and though being in the same situation but not mentioned by the ones who define themselves as leftists (definition of leftism in Turkey is different from its international definition) Altan brothers (Ahmet and Mehmet), Mr Ahmet Turan Altıner, Mr Ali Bulaç, Mr Şahin Alpay, Ms Nazlı Ilıcak are currently imprisoned legally shady and being tried with aggravated life imprisonment.
Crime definitions are arbitrary according to the government. Erdoğan and AKP government established very close relationships with Fethullah Gülen team for years, placed persons from Gülen team to positions at the army, police forces, jurisdiction, national education, supported them for commercial tenders, provide international guarantees, however, expect them to be accepted as “enemies” locally and internationally after they are defined as so, saying that they were “deceived” and put the blame on “undecieved” then. The ones who say one tenth of the words as Erdoğan did during the period of “Kurdish declination” are arrested as terrorists today, because Erdoğan and AKP were deceived then again. After they realize that they have been deceived (?) things they did before now become crime. Likewise, Erdoğan is deceived by Esat,Barzani, etc. in foreign politics and the ones whose timing is not the same with Erdoğan in that deceit become criminals.
For example, there could be an unreasonable definition of crime as change of editorial policy in Cumhuriyet Newspaper’s bill of indictment or as in Ayhan Bilgen example, you could be tried with life sentence in Turkey, because of an account from which only one message was twitted eight years ago, which is followed by no one and owner of which cannot be identified.
One hundred of fourty three cases have been opened against human and women’s rights defender, lawyer and writer Ms Eren Keskin who was once my own lawyer with accusations, most of which are legally comical.
Currently imprisoned writer and journalist Ahmet Altan’s first pleading in his first hearing unfolded Turkish jurisdiction’s discrepancies, its ill system full of weaknesses, its evil intents and above all, its lawless state in detail, sentence by sentence and more striking than Emile Zola’s book of “I accuse” relating to Dreyfeus case. (Attachment 2)
For this reason, reactions which are internationally binding against human rights violations in Turkey instead of oppositions for Turkey which is torn into pieces and destroyed in itself by way of identity politics, especially warnings for keeping its word by conventions of which Turkish Republic has signed and/or has become a side of, are far more important.
UN Human Rights Council has requested that imprisoned journalists, writers, academicians and judges in Turkey should be released immediately in legal framework, internet limitations and state of emergency should be lifted. Mr David Kaye, UN Freedom of Thought and Expression Special Reporter, issued a serious report for “Turkey Special Session”. Before the session, Germany and USA declared their concerns about the human rights violations in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s attitude towards Amnesty International due to its annoyance because of Amnesty International’s reports, AI’s individual responsible for Turkey, Mr Andrew Gardner’s prohibition of entry to Turkey, arrets of Turkey’s Branch Chairman Mr Taner Kılıç first and İstanbul Branch President Ms İdil Eser later have received reactions from Washington, Berlin and Brussels. Besides, what have been done conflicts with UN’s Decleration of Protection of Human Rights Defenders dated 1998, also signed by Turkey.
Mr Nils Muiznieks, European Commision Human Rights Inspector of which Turkey is a member, declared that the new HSYK (the supreme board of judges and prosecutors) which leaves jurisdiction indirectly to total control of Erdoğan, increases the risk of being open to political impact; councils of jurisdictions should be brought to European Standards; compliance of HSYK’s work with principles of superiority of law and judicial independence will be followed up in practice and without these, efficient human rights protection would not possible in Turkey.
President of Lahey International Criminal Courts Movement Mr Theodor Meron, in his report to UN Security Council, have declared that the way Judge Aydın Sefa Akay was being tried in Turkey came to the point to collapse the system that the Council set up at Ngirabatware case and his trial had to be ended.
Meanwhile, European Union legislative organ voted EU Turkey Reporter Ms Kati Piri’s report at the European parliament and it was convoked to officially suspend negotiations with Turkey that had started in 2005, by a vote of 477 to 64. Convocation for suspension is related to the package of constitutional change voted in April 16 referendum. As stated in Venice Commision View report, this change is not compatible with principle of separation of powers and Copenhagen criteria. This decision of suspension is important becuse if negotiations are suspended, EU funds are suspended as well. In other words, funds will not be given to the Turkish government to distribute, but will be given directly to civilians. Regressions in fundamental rights, human rights and democracy in Turkey; long term non-proportional and negative impacts of state of emergency and statutory decree implementations on many people; seizure of right of defence and dismissal from public at this point; imprisonment and obstacles brought to freedom of press were explained clearly in Ms Piri’s report. Another important aspect which would be effective here is convocation for applying political criteria to customs union negotiations.
During the state of emergency period following July 15 coup attempt, Erdoğan has become the only legislation and execution authority with the power of delegated legislation. When power of delegated legislation is examined which has been started as a precaution againts coup attempter Fetullah Gülen and his team, it is seen that only a few of almost 1000 statutory decrees issued by Erdoğan till today have been about Fetullah Gülen and his team and the rest has been for eliminating the other opponents and also relates to economy, banking, public realm, taxes, etc. Namely they have actually been issued for Erdoğan’s economical greed and attemps which will not be controlled.
Until today, more than 6000 academicians have been expelled from universities by statutory decrees. Some of them are at prisons; some are being tried with severe penalty demands. And only a small part of these can be related to Fetullah Gülen and his team rightly or wrongly; majority is consisted of the ones who signed Academicians for Peace Decleration (attachment 3).
AKP cadres have calculated that Aslı Erdoğan who was arrested with the aim of intimidating white Turks, would not receive international reactions as much as feminist-sociologist-writer-activist Pınar Selek did, who had had a much clearer political identity and arrested for the same reason and have being tried for 19 years, but they have been so wrong. Internationally known writer Aslı Erdoğan’s imprisonment received serious reactions at international platform. Aslı Erdoğan kept receiving awards after she had been imprisoned. While she was still in jail she received Sweden’s Tucholsky Award; after she was released but while was in judical control period, received Austria’s Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Award, Germany’s Theodor Heuss Award, European Cultural Foundation Princess Margriet Culture Award, again Germany’s Leipzig Media Freedom Award and France’s highst honour badge ‘Legion d’Honneur’. But due to the ban on her leaving the country, she was unable to receive these personally. At Aslı Eroğan’s last hearing, the ban on her leaving the country was lifted, however, she has not been issued a passport for a long period.
After she received her passport, she first went to France and met her French publisher (Actes Sud) Françoise Nyssen who is now French Ministry of Culture; then she went to Germany and received her Erich Maria Remarque Award personally. Börsenverein’s (German Publishers and Booksellers Association Exchange) CEO Mr Alexander Skipis who gave a continuous and serious struggle against freedom of speech violations in Turkey and who called many international organizations for duty in this regard since the day Aslı Erdoğan had been arrested, prepared a speech for the award ceremony (attachment 4).
Ms Jeniffer Clement who is the president of International PEN, a sensitive person, a responsible executive as PEN’s president, a writer and my friend who fought against seizure of freedom of speech, imprisonment of writers and journalists, sent information about a campaign which effectuated on May 31, 2017 that I uploaded below. This campaign is important becuse it does not have an end date. It will last uninterruptedly until the problem is solved.
Meanwhile, PEN’s Germany Branch President Regula Veske wrote an open letter to Turkey’s President R. T. Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım. In the letter started with “you probably do not have the courage to read this letter”, it was reminded that the number of arrested journalists and writers is 165. It was also said that Erdoğan and Yıldırım have made Turkey “the world’s biggest journalist prison”.
Swedish PEN President Elisabeth Asbrink stated that AKP government has been using Interpol as a tool to silence down the Turkish opponents who live abroad (as immigrants or refugees) and declared that they will take necessary actions to prevent this as International PEN.
Today Erdoğan who has authority in legislation, execution, indirectly jurisdiction with rights of appointing, by force of statutory decrees, is using his foreign politics for shows of strenght in domestic politics. For the sake of these shows, he has journalists, academicians, human rights defenders, men of God, consulate officals who are not Turkish citizens, are arrested in legally questionable ways. But in fact, foreign politics of Erdoğan who is really an aggressive liberal and values money above all, can not be like Iran’s once upon a time or North Korea today despite all the uproar he makes. For this reason, it is very important that Erdoğan and his government are given a hard time uncompromisingly today at areas of law, human rights and democracy by the binding clauses of international agreements signed by Turkey, without leaving the lawful platforms especially.
Meanwhile, I will participate to a panel discussion about freedoom of speech inFrankfurt Book Fair, on October 13, at 5 PM.
A group of around 200 writers from all over the world like PEN International president Jennifer Clement, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong, Elfriede Jelinek, Ahmedurrashid Tutul, Stephen Fry, Hanan Al-Şeyh Karl Ove Knausgaard, Salman Rushdie, Ece Temelkuran, Sanna Aoun Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Yann Martel, Mario Vargas Llosa, Sofi Oksanen, Urvashi Butalia, Chigozie Obioma, DBC Pierre, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Isabel Allende, Inua Ellams, Ocean Vuong, rafeef ziadah Elena Poniatowska John Raulston Saul and Nguyen Viet Thanh have started a global campaign room to provide global support and opportunities for writers who were forced to leave their countries are or were in exile and have or had to live secretly in their own countries. The campaign started on May 31, 2017 and will continue with publications, activities, legal support and projects for the next three years.
It was said that “we are people who are ousted, in exile, refugees or asylees; some of us has to live in our own countries secretly. But we have very powerful instruments to struggle: words. By way of this resource, we can inform people from all over the world and create awareness. We can bring ousted people and groups of people and what they are going through into the world’s agenda. We can struggle against imposed and fastly growing xenophobia and violations of freedom of expression. Now is exactly the time to act all together.”
In PEN & ICORN’s joint meeting –Other Words- it was announced that their aim is to provide material, immaterial and occupational support at PEN’s several centers; to provide right to asylum when nesessary for people forced to oust; but mainly to create global awareness for people in exile (asylees or refugees) or people forced to live secretly in their own countries and to contribute people’s standing up against these wrongfulnesses.
You can obtain information about the campaign from pen-makespace.or or contact Sarah Perry (sarah.perry@pen-international.org) and Sahar Halaimzai(sahar.halaimzai@pen-international.org) - + 44 (0) 20 7405 0338 –
from PEN International.
Writers global community PEN established in 1921 is a non-political establishment to which UN and UNESCO consult to. Beyond the prestige that PEN obtained by providing global solidarity and cooperation with its campaigns, activities and publications made at its 144 centers from all over the world, it presently has also a serious global potential for its 144 centers and its having journalists and writers with legal expertise together with literary writers within its structure.
