A Personal Story from Turkey: I am a “Man of Law” Not a Terrorist!


Date posted: August 3, 2016

Muhammet Cakir

I am a lawyer who had to flee Turkey after the infamous coup attempt and Erdogan regime’s purge on media, academics and civil society . I am man of law but according to President Erdogan I am a “terrorist” who attempted for a coup!

I am writing this letter from a city in Eastern Europe as I had to run away from persecution. Just after my departure  on 22 July, Turkish police arrived at my house but could not find me. Instead, with the intention to bring me out they have decided to detain my mother who is 86 years old and can barely walk. But how come a country came to this point? Let me briefly tell my story.

While I was working as a lawyer in 2007 at my home town Antakya, a Turkish city at the border of Syria, I have established a charity (Altin Insan) with my local friends to help the needy people. With the donations we have raised the charity was able to provide scholarship for the poor children, food and accommodation for those in need and organise social and sportive activities. We were also helping the Syrian refugees during last 4 years and feeling well self-satisfied with dignity as I was part of an action which promoted sharing, helping and making the life better for the others.

Beside this altruistic work, I was also an activist in my professional field and have pursuing to advocate for a new and civic constitution with my lawyer friends through an NGO called “Denge Law and Thought”. We had written a framework on the constitution and presented to the president of Turkish Grand National Assembly. Meanwhile in the local level we have promoted the women and children rights through seminars ,school visits and others activities to create awareness on fundamental rights and liberties, and providing guidance to the public how they can defend their basic rights.  Off course, I should not forget to mention the newspaper IRADE (The Willpower) which was born and grown up in our hands to provide local and independent news to the people of Antakya.

The life was beautiful until mid 2012 as the symptoms of authoritarianism showed its cold face during the Gezi Park protest. And it became like a hell especially right after the corruption scandal in December 2013. Since then, during last two and half years “You are either from us or against us” mentality surrounded the country. We have appalled  that newspapers and TV stations confiscated by the police force in Turkey and just because people affiliated with Gulen Movement their schools, social enterprises and businesses were subject to a “witch hunt” by Erdogan’s government. The donations for the humanitarian work were counted as “supporting the terrorism” and confiscating the property of Gulen Movement supporters were right thing to dry up the financial sources of “terrorist organization” and the media outlets must be taken over by force or closed down for the reason of so-called terror organization cannot have media.

My law firm was defending the victims in Antakya who were suspended or forced to retire in public service or small businessmen who lost their life savings with a simple appointment of administrator by the government. In fact, Turkey was under the “state of emergency” for a long time but it was officially announced by the president Erdogan aftermath of the “God gift” failed coup to “clean up the state”.

The scale of the purge is massive as more than hundreds of thousands people affected. Some have been arrested or detained others lost their jobs, their children are out of the university or school as the government closed down 935 school and 15 universities. My wife is one of the passionate teacher who is also out of job now, thanks to the  minister of education who fired 42 thousand teacher from public sector but not only that cancelled the license of 21 thousand of teachers in private sector. I would be the prisoner, if I had stayed in Turkey that I could be detained up to 30 days without seeing the judge and God knows how long it would to take my freedom back in a such dicta regime. But detaining my 86 years old mother was not a job of a dictatorship it is pure an act of mafia! The trauma that people of Turkey has been going through is indescribable, I am sure there are people worse than my situation but simply I just want to ask that what would be the feeling of the children whose both parents are either in prison or out of job, how long can the families survive? So, Erdogan is man of his word as he had said in 2014 “there is no water for them (Gulen community)”!

Along side, my newspaper closed down and circulated copies have been collected, my law firm has been locked down by the authorities and my staff have now became unemployed. The charity (Altin Insan) which was helping the people in need and Denge Law & Thought Association were among the 1125 which was closed down last week.

Finally, as a lawyer, I always fought for the rule of law, liberties and I am strongly against any military intervention to the democratically elected government even if I have so many reason to be against the government policies. What we experiences in Turkey today is no any differences if the coup was successful. Our dream was Turkey to became fully functioning democratic country, member of European Union, I did not dream a country where European Human Rights Convention is suspended, torture becomes a norm and hundred thousands of lives thorn apart…

Source: Vocal Europe , August 2, 2016


Related News

Kimse Yok Mu and Tuna Foundation lifting up Romanian orphans’ spirit

Kimse Yok Mu Foundation in cooperation with the local Tuna Foundation gave away donations of clothing and food to the children of an orphanage in the Romanian capital Bucharest. The two foundations joined together to reach out to a total of 270 orphans including those with mental disorders.

Erdoğan distorts Gülen’s NYT op-ed, says it is about Bank Asya operation

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has presented a distorted interpretation of an op-ed written by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen that was published in The New York Times, claiming the op-ed is about the takeover of the board of Islamic lender Bank Asya by Turkey’s banking watchdog.

Gov’t to destroy 216K math, science textbooks published by Hizmet affiliated publishers

Turkey’s Education Ministry has decided to destroy at least 216,233 copies of math and science textbooks published by publishing houses affiliated with the Gülen movement, according to Hürriyet daily.

Aid organization head blasts terror probe

Turkey was shocked by a terror investigation against Kimse Yok Mu (KYM). According to a statement by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the organization was being probed over its alleged involvement in terrorism during activities during Eid al-Adha.

Hüseyin Gülerce: I have to respond to Mr. Barlas

The media organization that has been labeled as the mouthpiece of the [Gülen] Community is one of the rare Turkish media organizations where freedom of thought and expression and freedom of conscience are fully exercised. No Turkish media organization welcomes different intellectual and religious opinions as Zaman does. It is one of the few newspapers in Turkey where people can write without worrying about being punished.

Davud Hanci’s wife says Calgary imam detained in Turkey ‘a very peaceful man’

Rumeysa Hanci breaks down in tears when she recounts how she spent her 13th wedding anniversary, travelling home to Calgary from Turkey and not knowing when she would see her husband, Davud, again.

Latest News

Erdogan’s Failed Crusade: The World Rejects His War on Hizmet

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

In Case You Missed It

Hizmet, forming a party and capturing the state!

The Gülen Movement: Paradigms, Projects and Aspirations

Turkish Olympiad most effective promotion for Turkey, says FM

CHP deputy calls Erdoğan’s order to bring down Hizmet ‘crime’

11th Int’l Turkish Olympiads kick off in İstanbul

‘Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen inspire uniting people around spiritual ideals’

Another Hizmet-affiliated school targeted by AK Party

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News