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

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

On the 8^th 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 13^th 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 23^rd of September 2016, at the 2. Criminal Court in Bakırköy, Istanbul.

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