Skip to main content

Turkish mothers take up civil disobedience

Anyone who dares protest Erdogan is branded a dangerous terrorist and subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, even elderly mothers.

Turkey_Protest.jpg
Protesters, including Veli Sacilik (2nd L) and Nuriye Gulmen (4th L), take part in the Yuksel Resistance, Ankara, Turkey, picture uploaded May 3, 2017. — Facebook/Nuriye Gülmen

On May 22, Turkish social media was rocked by a picture of a woman being kicked and dragged on the street by police officers. The woman was the mother of scholar Veli Sacilik, who was standing in solidarity with Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca, teachers who are on a hunger strike.

Sacilik, just like Gulmen and Ozakca, was dismissed from his government position without any explanation or due process after the July 15 coup attempt. Indeed, currently there are more than 100,000 government employees who were dismissed. Amnesty International succinctly described the process as “professional annihilation.”

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in