Ottawa urged to expedite residency process for those fleeing oppression in Turkey


Date posted: July 15, 2017

Andrea Huncar

Edmonton father who fled Turkey leaves on overseas mission to rescue family.

An Edmonton father who fled the political turmoil in Turkey is putting his life in danger to return to the region to rescue his wife and young children — and he’s pleading for help from the Canadian government.

“My family is in danger,” he told CBC News through a translator.  “I have no worries about myself. I just want to save my family.”

CBC is not identifying the family or sharing certain details about his travels that could reveal their identities because of the life-threatening circumstances.

Turkey has been in a state of emergency since a July 15, 2016 coup attempt and a subsequent government crackdown that saw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan move to gain sweeping powers. Erdogan’s promised “cleansing” of Turkey’s state institutions has seen tens of thousands lose their jobs or be jailed.

Amnesty International, whose own staff have been detained in the purge, says 150 journalists and at least five Turkish-Canadians have been arrested. An estimated 100,000 teachers, lawyers, judges and other public servants have been removed from their positions.

For the Edmonton father who is a protected refugee, time is of the essence. He only has a 15-day travel visa to rescue his family.

He hasn’t had the heart to tell them that the permanent residency status he needs to bring them back to Canada has yet to be approved.

‘Give us a chance’

He and his supporters are imploring the Canadian government to expedite the application process.

“Give us a chance to live here peacefully so I can live with my family and live with my kids and see them grow,” said the man, acknowledging the danger of the task before him due to his membership in a group demonized by the Turkish government.

“There are countries which are extraditing people of the Gulen movement so if somehow I’m exposed they might get me,” he said, explaining that he would most likely be imprisoned, tortured or even killed. “There are so many examples of this.”

Turkey blames followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for a failed coup but they say their movement promotes peace and democracy.

It’s been a year since the PhD student escaped Turkey after being tipped off to his imminent arrest during the government crackdown in the aftermath of the failed coup.

He is part of the Gulen movement, overseen by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and branded a terrorist organization by Erdogan, who blames the group for last year’s attempted coup.

Gulen members deny those allegations, insisting their movement, known as Hizmet or “service” in Turkish, advocates for religious tolerance, education, human rights, democracy and building bridges with the West.

Haunted by daughter’s calls

But participation in the group forced the Edmonton father into hiding, separate from his family, prior to his departure. It also meant he had the travel visa he needed to flee. He never thought his family would soon be at risk.

Last January, he applied for permanent residency in the hopes his family would soon join him in Canada.

He’s haunted by his young daughter’s tearful phone calls, begging to visit him. He carries her small stuffed animal, a departing gift from a child forced to grow up too soon.

“If anything happens to them because of me I don’t know how I’m going to live my life,” he confided.

‘If anything happens to them because of me I don’t know how I’m going to live my life’

– Turkish father on rescue mission to save his family

With the situation in Turkey deteriorating, they can no longer wait. The man said his family is on the run, even hiding from their own relatives who would turn them in. It was an uncle who first provided his name to the police, he said.

“I’m not angry with them,” said the man. “Everyday the mass media keeps telling that we are the enemy of the state, and that’s what they believe.”

A letter written by his wife underscores their urgent circumstances.

“I don’t have more tears to cry anymore and enough strength to keep my kids safe anymore,” she wrote. “I don’t know how to take care of my kids anymore.”

She said she was recently brought before court, and freed with these final words from the judge: “We will get you sooner or later. Now go.”

Her letter continued: “Prisons now full of moms, dads and even kids. I don’t want my kids to see me getting tortured every day at the prison … please help me Canada as you helped many …”

Not much time left

Her sign-off is desperate.

“Is there anybody there who can help us? If so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HURRY! Because, I start feeling that we don’t have too much time left.”

The family’s situation is not the only one of its kind in Canada. Gulen members and supporters estimate there are more than 35 Turkish families in Edmonton associated with the Gulen movement and more than a thousand living across Canada, in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver.

‘This is a targeted war on a specific group of people in Turkey and to me that speaks to genocide’

– Edmonton human rights advocate Renee Vaugeois

Supporters say Canada is one of their only hopes right now because other countries are extraditing Gulen members back to Turkey.

Edmonton human rights advocate Renée Vaugeois has sent a letter to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen urging him to expedite the Edmonton man’s residency application.

She hopes the Canadian government will support other Turkish refugees across Canada facing similar circumstances, given the gravity of the situation.

Human rights advocate Renée Vaugeois wrote a letter asking Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to expedite the Edmonton man’s residency application. (Rick Bremness/CBC)

“This a targeted war on a specific group of people in Turkey and to me that speaks to genocide,” said Vaugeois, referring to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. “We need to support those that are putting themselves in danger to try and figure out how to save their families.”

Alex Neve, secretary general for Amnesty International Canada, said after the failed coup the Turkish government rightfully went after those involved, but then went far beyond that.

“Now the Turkish government has cast an unbelievably wide net and is going after anyone who they believe — and there’s usually no basis for that belief — in any way may have been supportive of or may know a supporter of the Gulen movement,” said Neve. “It’s staggering and it is getting worse not better.”

5 Turkish-Canadians behind bars

Amnesty says the five Turkish-Canadians behind bars include Calgarian Davud Hanci. In the past month, two of Amnesty’s own leaders have been imprisoned. Police arrested Taner Kiliç, the chair of Amnesty International Turkey, on June 6. Last week, authorities detained director Idil Eser, accused of belonging to a terrorist organization.

“That’s unprecedented,” said Neve. ” We’ve never seen that in any country anywhere around the world in our 56 years. So this deterioration in the human rights situation in Turkey is something that should be way up at the top of the global agenda.”

Secretary general of Amnesty International Canada Alex Neve said the arrest of Amnesty colleagues is unprecedented. (Paul Thompson)

Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Jocelyn Sweet said the department has raised the issue with its ally in bilateral interactions and international forums.

“We have expressed concern that increasing numbers of human rights defenders, academics, journalists, and civil society actors, are being impacted by the broad application of national security measures,” she wrote in a statement. “Canada has been consistent in urging Turkey to respond to its challenges in a proportionate manner, upholding its commitments to the rule of law and international human rights.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has not yet commented on the Edmonton man’s case.

Source: CBC Radio Canada , July 11, 217


Related News

Unexpected consequences [of prep schools in Turkey]

The hottest debate in Turkey today is about the abolishment or, officially, the “transformation” of the private university prep schools. These are private enterprises. They are not schools but provide additional education to high school students to increase their ability to succeed in the nationwide university exams held every year.

Survey shows Turkish gov’t seized at least $11 billion of company assets over Gülen links

Turkish government has transferred about 49,4 billion liras ($11 billion) of assets of 1,124 companies seized from those who have alleged affiliation to the Gülen movement to a special fund under a crackdown that began following a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Turkish Olympiad most effective promotion for Turkey, says FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has praised the 11th International Turkish Olympiad, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language, as the “most effective” instrument for promoting Turkey, while receiving students visiting Turkey as part of the Olympiad.   Davutoğlu said he has been a fan of the Turkish Olympiads for a long time, noting that […]

Persecution In Turkey Left Kids With A Down Syndrome Suffering Tremendously

The unrelenting witch-hunt persecution against critics and opponents in Turkey by county’s Islamist rulers knows no boundaries when it comes to traumatizing kids and babies whose parents were dragged to jail on false charges.

Sweep these [journalists] off the floor

Sevgi Akarçeşme, former editor in chief of Today’s Zaman, recalls the night when the police raided the building of the most important and independent opposition newspaper in Turkey. «What happened to journalists today» she warns « can happen to citizens tomorrow».

Parents of Afghan-Turk school students vow to defend school in Mazar-e Sharif to the end

The Parents’ Committee of an Afghan-Turk school held a press conference on Wednesday in the conference hall of Ariana Boys High School in Mazar-e Sharif and vowed to defend to the end the school against the attacks of the Turkish government.

Latest News

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?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

520 children of imprisoned mothers growing up in jail, yet Turkey celebrates Children’s Day

Romanian appeals court denies Turkey’s request for extradition of Erdoğan critic

Third suspicious disappearance in a week: Teacher dismissed in post-coup crackdown not seen for 14 days

An Interfaith Trip to Turkey: A Lesson in History

Caretaker AK Party gov’t criticized for police operation against youth association

Imam who lives in rural Pennsylvania arouses praise, concerns

Fethullah Gulen’s Message for International Day of Peace

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News