Individuals from all over Turkey are coming together to raise their voices against the injustices they experience and to emphasize the importance of social solidarity. Conscience Meetings organized by the Conscience Foundation has become a platform where people with different life stories and who have been subjected to injustices share their experiences.
With the participation of Yasin Yıldız, Fahri Bey, Mustafa Ertürk, Nazik Kılıç, Hıdır Göktaş, Işık Bey and our Foundation President Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, the situation of justice and human rights in Turkey was shed light on through personal stories. These personal stories presented important examples of the lawlessness, injustice and human rights violations experienced in some segments of the state and society.
After a journey from Mardin to Ankara, Yasin Yıldız shared the experiences of his son Nurullah after July 15, 2016. Despite his son being a successful student at the Air Force Academy, his unlawful imprisonment shook Yasin Bey’s faith in the state. Yasin Bey explained that his efforts to reach state officials were in vain and that his son was being held in prison without a crime. Fahri Bey stated that after a 40-year career as a civil servant, his son was also faced with the same injustice. Fahri Bey, whose dreams of retirement were dashed when his son was imprisoned, stated that he had to continue working due to economic difficulties.
Mustafa Ertürk, on the other hand, explained that after the trauma of family separation he experienced in his childhood, he encountered injustices on the part of the state in his adulthood. He shared that he was affected by the closures and unjust arrests that took place after July 15 because he had worked for a media organization in the past. Mustafa Bey stated that he saw his country as a kind of prison after he was released from prison.
Nazik Kılıç shared her family tragedies and personal struggles due to political reasons. She entered politics in 1976 and worked with important names in the Turkish socialist movement. The murder of her brother and the fact that her other brother was in prison were concrete examples of the injustices against her family and herself. She stated that despite all she had experienced, she raised her children to be successful individuals, but she could not feel happy because society had not changed yet.
Hıdır Göktaş's participation in the establishment of the Human Rights Association after the injustices he experienced during the September 12 period demonstrated his fighting spirit. Göktaş also shared his thoughts on the importance of empathy and respect in society.
Finally, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Founder of the Vicdan Foundation, emphasized the importance of social solidarity.
These meetings show that society must act together against the difficulties experienced by individuals. These events organized by the Vicdan Foundation emphasize the importance of standing against injustice and strengthening social solidarity. The stories of the participants reminded us that the search for justice in Turkey continues and the importance of fighting together on this path.
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