PA State Rep. Margo Davidson reflects on her visit to Turkish refugees in Greece


Date posted: February 12, 2018

When my constituents who are from Turkey started telling me about the plight of the Turkish people, it became more and more concerning.

And then, when I was asked by a leader of the Turkish community whom I’ve known for a number of years now to come and see for myself what was going on, I was more than open to be a witness to what was happening to friends and family members of my constituents here in Upper Darby.

The stories of how they were persecuted in their country and the great lengths and the danger that they went through in order to escape–no one would put themselves through that level of danger had they not faced the level of persecution that they were facing in their country.

I had many moments where I was in tears. I guess the most emotional moment for me was the story of the young girl whose mother was drowning…

And she came across the river. And her mother was so afraid because she was already afraid of the water. And, the water was coming up around her neck.

And she could not swim, and she began to sink, and it was her daughter that reached in the water to pull her up.

There were seven grown men in that room, and they were all in tears. All of us were in tears. You could see the trauma of that experience even still on the young daughter’s face.

I just thought about all the thousands and thousands of people–even as horrible as that story was–that did not have the means to get out.

And how so many people were cheated by smugglers, trying to get out, having to cross this river, the amazing feats they went to so their newborn children wouldn’t have to go to jail. Because that was what they were facing.

There were pregnant mothers that crossed the river; there were mothers with very young children and older children…

And even with all of that, even with the 600 or so families that did escape. What about the thousands who are not able to escape, that were detained, that were in jail.

We heard about mothers being imprisoned right after birth in Turkey. And it’s just really a horrible shame; and that they’re still being tracked by the Turkish government at this point is just really frightening.

Turkey had achieved democracy, but now it’s under a single person’s rule–which is what we call a dictatorship—

And so I feel like I have a full understanding what is taking place in Turkey and what the two sides are, what the opposing forces are.

It was really an eye-opener; I was not aware of the persecution that was going on in Turkey.

Subsequently, I’ve read more about what’s been going on in Turkey and how most of the world, the general public is not aware of what’s going on.

And how far-reaching it is, because the cleric Gulen had schools in 170 countries and– from published reports–Turkey has been very vigilant in trying to get those people detained and extradited back to Turkey to be imprisoned.

Turkish people have been very hard workers here in America, have really contributed greatly to American society, and have definitely contributed greatly to my district here.

So, I believe that elected officials on both sides of the aisle would gain a broader understanding of the world condition–particularly as it relates to Turkey– if they visited firsthand some of these places.

Source: 30 PLUS TV , Febuary 10, 2018


Related News

Why Is Turkey Targeting Hizmet? Questions about Erdoğan’s Post-Coup Crackdown

In May 2009, I received an award at the International Turkish Olympiad. The event was sponsored and organized by members of the Hizmet movement and most of the performers were students of Hizmet schools abroad. When I, together with a handful of other recipients, mounted the stage to accept our awards, there to shake our hands was the smiling then prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyib Erdoğan.

Atlantic Institute promotes peace through dialogue

It is well known that the institute is inspired by the peaceful teachings of Fethullah Gülen, whose decades-long commitment to education, altruistic community service, and interfaith harmony has inspired millions around the world. Gülen has reinterpreted aspects of Islamic tradition to meet the needs of contemporary Muslims.

Turkish gov’t planning slaughter of jailed Gülen followers in staged riot, lawyer claims

The Turkish government is headed for mass killings of people jailed over alleged or real links to the Gülen movement, in a staged riot in Silivri prison, a lawyer representing a former police chief imprisoned as part of a crackdown against the movement claimed, underlining that he is worried about the lives of his clients.

Journalists seek asylum in Canada amid Turkish crackdown

Duncan Pike of the Toronto-based Canadian Journalists for Free Expression said the decline of press freedom in Turkey has been a growing concern as the Tayyip Erdogan regime continues to use the coup as a pretext to crack down on opposition critical of his government. “Reporters are stripped of press credentials. Publishing houses are closed down. Authors, journalists, teachers and academics are detained and investigated,” said Pike.

Erdogan critic calls jailing of his mother and brother ‘perverse’ and ‘politically motivated’

A high-profile critic of the Turkish government has described the jailing of his 75-year-old mother and brother to a combined 91-year sentence as “ludicrous” and “perverse”. Akin Ipek said the ‘human rights abuses’ against his family were unacceptable in any civilised country.

Down Syndrome child accompanies mother in prison as parents jailed over Gülen links

A 22-month-old child who suffers from Down Syndrome is living in jail along with his mother after both his mother and father were imprisoned in Konya over alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, a report said on Saturday.

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

“True change in a society cannot be achieved through politics but through conscience and collective awareness”

Nizamiye Will Perform 15,000 Cardiac Procedures In Nigeria

Kimse Yok Mu working to resolve water problem in Africa

Turkish delegation calls on Chief Minister of Punjab

AK Party government removing critical voices from state bodies

Hizmet school in Bangladesh receives the International Arch of Europe Award

Turkish Teachers In Kazakhstan Fear Going Home

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News