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22.09.2016

Press Release: Court Case Against School Teacher Ayşe Çelik Starts Tomorrow

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Court Case against School Teacher Ayşe Çelik  and her “accomplices”  – First hearing on the 23rd of September 2016, Istanbul.

On the 8th of January 2016, a school teacher named Ayşe Çelik called up from Diyarbakir  (Southeast Turkey) and went on the air  during a popular talk show, to plead for an end to the “deaths of men, women and children…so that  mothers should not cry.”  “What is going on here,” she said, “is being distorted and not being faithfully reported on your television screens.” She urged the audience not to remain silent. (The English translation of the  full text  is copied below.) She is now on trial, being accused of  carrying out “terrorist propaganda” on behalf of PKK, as well as the director Kadir Turanlı who was responsible for the show.

What Ayşe Çelik said on the television program was no different from what many of us, as women, professionals, academics,  have observed at fırst hand during our visits to the affected areas and have voiced at the time. We believe that the only way to prevent more deaths is dialogue in order for the guns to fall silent and to start building peace

On the 13th of January 2016, we the undersigned denounced ourselves as “accomplices of Ayşe Çelik in this crime, if her words indeed constitute a crime,” and now stand trial under the same charges.  The first hearing is to be held on the 23rd of September 2016, at the 2. Criminal Court in Bakırköy, Istanbul.

AHMET DİNDARAttorneyİSTANBUL
AYŞE ERZAN SİLİERPhysicistİSTANBUL
AYŞEGÜL AKIŞ DEVECİOĞLUWriterİSTANBUL
AYŞENUR İYİDOĞANGraphic artistİSTANBUL
BAYRAM BAHRİ BELENAttorneyİSTANBUL
DİLEK GÖKÇİNDocumentary film directorİSTANBUL
ERCAN İPEKÇİJournalistANKARA
ERGİN CİNMENAttorneyİSTANBUL
FERHAT TUNÇArtistİSTANBUL
GENÇAY GÜRSOYNeurologist (retired)İSTANBUL
GÜLSEREN ONANÇBusiness woman, politicianİSTANBUL
GÜLŞEN DENİZHANAttorneyİSTANBUL
GÜRHAN ERTÜRBusinessmanİSTANBUL
GÜRKAN DEVELİTechnicianİZMİR
HALİM BULUTOĞLUBusinessmanİSTANBUL
İBRAHİM AKINKindergarten directorİZMİR
İBRAHİM SİNEMİLLİOĞLUAttorneyİSTANBUL
KEMAL ÖZGÜLAttorneyİSTANBUL
MAHMUT KONUKTrade unionist, Health workerANKARA
MEHMET TURSUNContractor, Baran Tursun Foundation, Pres.İZMİR
MEVLÜT ÜLGENPsychologistİZMİR
MURAT ÇELİKKANJournalistİSTANBUL
NAZMİYE ÖZENRetiredİZMİR
NERGİZ OVACIKIndustrial engineerİSTANBUL
NEŞE YAŞINPoetİSTANBUL
NİL ÖZSOY DİNDARAttorneyİSTANBUL
ORHAN ALKAYATheater directorİSTANBUL
ORHAN SİLİERHistorianİSTANBUL
OYA BAYDAR (ENGİN)Sociologist, WriterİSTANBUL
PERİHAN PULATRetiredANKARA
PINAR ÖNENClinical PsychologistİSTANBUL
ŞANAR YURDATAPANMusicianİSTANBUL
SİBEL ÖZBUDUN DEMİRERAnthropologistANKARA
SÜLEYMAN ERYILMAZTrade unionist, retiredİZMİR
TEMEL DEMİRERAraştırmacı, yazarANKARA
TÜRKCAN BAYKALClinical Psychologist and PhysicianİZMİR
ÜNER EYÜBOĞLUEngineerİSTANBUL
VECDİ SAYARArt/Cinema CriticİSTANBUL
 

 

 

 

Full text of  Ayşe Çelik’s words on the “Beyaz Show,”  Channel D

Are you aware of what’s going on in the Southeast Turkey? Unborn children, mothers, people are being killed here. As a performer, as a human being you should not remain silent to what’s happening. You should say stop. I want to say one more thing. There are miserable people who are glad to hear that children are dying. We, more correctly I, cannot say anything to these people, but shame on you. I’m sorry I want to say one more thing. I’m a teacher and I’m asking all teachers (who were ordered by the Ministry of Education to leave the area): How will they ever go back to these places? How will they look at those innocent children’s faces and into their eyes? I can’t speak really (she has tears in her voice). The things happening here are reflected so differently on TV screens or on the media. Don’t remain silent. As a human being, have a sensitive approach. See, hear and lend us a hand. It’s a pity, don’t let those people, those children die; don’t let the mothers cry anymore. I can’t even speak over the sounds of the bombs and bullets. People are struggling with starvation and thirst, babies and children too. Don’t remain silent. 

Translated from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13eGNvqevlQ