Letter campaign launched for Turkey’s imprisoned women, mothers


Date posted: February 7, 2018

An initiative called Set Them Free has launched a letter campaign to show solidarity with women in jail and mothers who are incarcerated with their children.

In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, more than 17,000 women from all walks of life including teachers, doctors and housewives have been jailed in Turkey on coup charges in government-led operations. There are currently more than 700 children accompanying their mothers in Turkish jails.

The “Care, Share, Send a Letter” campaign calls for letters addressed to the mothers and women imprisoned in Turkey to give them hope, to stand in solidarity with them and to remind them that they are not alone.

The Set them Free initiative is calling on people to write letters full of love, hope and dignity that will empower the women in jail.

“We kindly urge you to use positive and encouraging language in the letter in line with our mission to give hope and empowerment to the jailed women. We expect letters to be emailed to sethemfreetr@gmail.com. After the campaign end date, Set Them Free will print the emailed letters and post them to the person that you have addressed,” says the initiative.

The letters will be kept confidential and no letter will be published on any of the platforms unless the correspondent gives authorization for Set Them Free to share their letters as a sample for other participants.

Set Them Free says it has received approval for the campaign from the relatives of mothers and female journalistssuch as Vahide Kutkut, jailed since February 2017 and mother of two children; Gülizar Diken Akbaba, jailed since July 2017 with her baby Miraz; Selma Polat, jailed since December 2017 with her baby Emir; journalist Ayşenur Parıldak, jailed since August 2016;Meltem Oktay, jailed since April 2017; and Hanım Büşra Erdal, jailed since July 2016.

“If you know any jailed mother or woman in person and have a connection to obtain an authorization from the family, please feel free to contact us, and we would be glad to include them as well,” the initiative says.

 

Source: Turkey Purge , February 3, 2018

Tags: | | | | |


Related News

Turkey’s Erdoğan Regime Extends Post-Coup Witch Hunt Targeting Gülen Followers Abroad

Turkey, under the autocratic rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has stepped up its witch hunt against the alleged members of Gülen movement abroad, pro-Erdoğan English paper Daily Sabah reported. So far, 16 alleged Gülen followers have been abducted or caught abroad and transferred to Turkey from Asian, Middle Eastern countries and Bulgaria.

Turkey’s Opposition Fails a Critical Test: To Challenge Erdogan

The CHP’s inability to seize the moment and strongly condemn the arbitrary extent and nature of the purges from the start was a critical failure, and one that serves to undermine its integrity and sustainability as an opposition force. Despite tentative but welcome signs from the CHP towards highlighting the exponential injustices of Turkey’s ongoing purge, it still seems like a classic case of acting too little, too late.

Behind the war over prep schools [in Turkey]

Notably, all this comes while the tension between the government, especially Erdoğan himself, and the Gülen Movement is deepening. In fact, both groups form part of the “religious conservatives,” and used to be allies against the old secularist guard. However, their differences have become increasingly pronounced and have resulted recently in an increasingly bitter war of words.

Turkey’s Changing Freedom Deficit

Erdoğan’s government is by no means the first to compel Turkish citizens to hide their preferences and beliefs. Under the secular governments that ruled Turkey from the 1920s to 1950, and to some extent until 2002, pious Turks seeking advancement in government, the military, and even commerce had to downplay their religiosity and avoid signaling approval of political Islam.

Bolu municipality builds road inside Hizmet affiliated Fatih College’s garden

The Bolu Municipality, Turkey, having previously closed down two schools belonging to businesspeople affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement in early July, has now constructed a road inside the garden of Fatih College, a high school, despite the fact that the school is surrounded by empty plots of land and no residential area exists around the school.

Reuters interview Gulen, he says he would not flee U.S. to avoid extradition to Turkey

Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating last year’s failed coup, says he has no plans to flee the United States and would accept extradition if Washington agrees to a request by Ankara to hand him over.

Latest News

Sacramento leaders gather for Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan

SEO Skill Suite: Tools for Keyword Research, Technical & Backlink Analysis

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

In Case You Missed It

British politician Duff: So easy for some Turkish media to misreport

Turkey: Alarming Deterioration of Rights – Coup Attempt No Justification for Crackdown on Peaceful Critics

Punjab government and Turk NGO Kimse Yok Mu sign protocol

Troubled Nigeria discusses Gülen’s ‘culture of coexistence’

The Alliance for Shared Values Statement on Ankara Attacks

India must understand Erdogan’s ideological motives for seeking extradition of Gülenists

Kimse Yok Mu, the prominent outlet for international aid

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News