Education Monitor: Around The Globe between the 1st and 15th of June, 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the sixth edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe” between the 1st and 15th of June, 2023. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team. You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition. To Download it as pdf : Education Monitor: Around The Globe between the 1st and 15th of June, 2023

Broken Chalk Platform, in March 2019, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in Turkey and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries.

These education volunteers also suffered greatly and started their new lives in their new countries without human rights violations. They gained respect just because they were considered human beings in those countries. However, they left one part of their minds and hearts in their homeland. They assigned themselves a new duty, and the human rights violations they left behind had to be announced to the World. A group of education volunteers who came together for this purpose started their activities under the Broken Chalk platform’s umbrella. However, the Broken Chalk platform was not enough to serve their aims. Therefore, they completed their official establishment as a Human Rights Foundation in October 2020.

Broken Chalk is now much more than a platform, and we have reviewed and enlarged our vision and mission within this framework. Violations of rights would be the first in our agenda in the field of Education all over the World. At the point we reached today, Broken Chalk opened its door to all individuals from all across the globe, from all professions, and to all individuals who say or can say ‘I also want to stand against violations of human rights in Education for our future and whole humanity, where our generations grow up together.’

Education is essential because it can help us eliminate the evils from society, introduce, and increase the good. We want to draw the public’s and stakeholders’ attention to the fact that Education is in danger in several different parts of the World. The attacks are wide-reaching, from the bombing of schools to the murder of students and teachers. Raping and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on Education harm the students and teachers but also affect the communities in the short and long term.

We invite all individuals who want to stop human rights violations in Education to become Volunteers at Broken Chalk.

Education Monitor: Around The Globe between the 16th and 31st of May, 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the fifth edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe” between the 16th and 31st of May, 2023. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

To Download it as pdf : Education Monitor: Around The Globe between the 16th and 31st of May, 2023

Broken Chalk Platform, in March 2019, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in Turkey and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries.

These education volunteers also suffered greatly and started their new lives in their new countries without human rights violations. They gained respect just because they were considered human beings in those countries. However, they left one part of their minds and hearts in their homeland. They assigned themselves a new duty, and the human rights violations they left behind had to be announced to the World. A group of education volunteers who came together for this purpose started their activities under the Broken Chalk platform’s umbrella. However, the Broken Chalk platform was not enough to serve their aims. Therefore, they completed their official establishment as a Human Rights Foundation in October 2020.

Broken Chalk is now much more than a platform, and we have reviewed and enlarged our vision and mission within this framework. Violations of rights would be the first in our agenda in the field of Education all over the World. At the point we reached today, Broken Chalk opened its door to all individuals from all across the globe, from all professions, and to all individuals who say or can say ‘I also want to stand against violations of human rights in Education for our future and whole humanity, where our generations grow up together.’

Education is essential because it can help us eliminate the evils from society, introduce, and increase the good. We want to draw the public’s and stakeholders’ attention to the fact that Education is in danger in several different parts of the World. The attacks are wide-reaching, from the bombing of schools to the murder of students and teachers. Raping and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on Education harm the students and teachers but also affect the communities in the short and long term.

We invite all individuals who want to stop human rights violations in Education to become Volunteers at Broken Chalk.

Education Monitor: Around The Globe between 1st and 15th May 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the fourth edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe” between 1st and 15th May 2023. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team. You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition. To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_15_16_2023

Broken Chalk Platform, in March 2019, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in Turkey and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries.

These education volunteers also suffered greatly and started their new lives in their new countries without human rights violations. They gained respect just because they were considered human beings in those countries. However, they left one part of their minds and hearts in their homeland. They assigned themselves a new duty, and the human rights violations they left behind had to be announced to the World. A group of education volunteers who came together for this purpose started their activities under the Broken Chalk platform’s umbrella. However, the Broken Chalk platform was not enough to serve their aims. Therefore, they completed their official establishment as a Human Rights Foundation in October 2020.

Broken Chalk is now much more than a platform, and we have reviewed and enlarged our vision and mission within this framework. Violations of rights would be the first in our agenda in the field of Education all over the World. At the point we reached today, Broken Chalk opened its door to all individuals from all across the globe, from all professions, and to all individuals who say or can say ‘I also want to stand against violations of human rights in Education for our future and whole humanity, where our generations grow up together.’

Education is essential because it can help us eliminate the evils from society, introduce, and increase the good. We want to draw the public’s and stakeholders’ attention to the fact that Education is in danger in several different parts of the World. The attacks are wide-reaching, from the bombing of schools to the murder of students and teachers. Raping and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on Education harm the students and teachers but also affect the communities in the short and long term.

We invite all individuals who want to stop human rights violations in Education to become Volunteers at Broken Chalk.

Education Monitor: Around The Globe Week 15&16 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the third edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe”. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_15_16_2023

Educational and health crisis in Iran: Hundreds of schoolgirls fall sick in Iran, officials suspect poisoning

Written by Ivel Sestopal

Girls have been hospitalized. Photo by Iran International.

In the past months, there have been approximately 300 separate attacks taking place in more than 100 girls’ schools across Iran, elementary, middle, and high schools. The first reported attack took place on November 30th, 2022, in the city of Qom a city that is home to important Shia Muslim shrines and the religious leadership that forms the backbone of the Islamic Republic[i]. Then, on December 13th another attack was reported in the same schools, poisoning 51 schoolgirls and most of the girls were hospitalized. However, authorities dismissed the girl’s symptoms as stress, excitement, and mental contagion. But when asked, they answered that they sensed a unusual gas smell in school leading to shortness of breath, numbness, pain in the legs, and difficulty in walking. This led to an increase in the gravity of the matter. The attacks are being clearly directed at girls which is damaging to their human right to education and health safety.

In addition to the problem, there is a lack of transparency about the tests that were made on the girls which don’t allow more investigation and clarity over the causes of poisoning. When asked about the results, authorities refused to release the toxicology results citing respiratory viral disease and kidney disease as causes of death. [ii]

One of the girls was an 11-year-old girl that died citing respiratory viral disease and kidney disease as causes of death. There has been a lot of controversy about this due to the pattern that the Iranian authorities are covering the issue and pressuring families to release certain press information. Amnesty International received information from a medical doctor inside Iran that the Ministry of Health has issued a protocol to medical centers in the country ordering medical staff to attribute symptoms suffered by schoolgirls from the chemical gas attacks to “stress”[iii].  In this case, the authorities have already arrested an Iranian journalist that reported poisonings.

Another factor is that in the past months, the clerical establishment has been challenged by mass protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini a Kurdish woman who was detained for not wearing her headscarf, this created social anger especially in schoolgirls when it started circulating in social media videos of girls taking off their headscarves and singing anti-establishment slogans. “It became evident that some people wanted all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed down,” the deputy health minister said on Sunday.[iv]

The available information only indicates the possibility of criminal acts directed at girls’ schools in those regions. As the attacks are being directly targeted to them, by using chemicals that are publicly available.

The failure of the administration not only in stopping the causes of the poisonings but also in providing information to the families and citizens has led to increasing public criticism and protests mainly organized by teachers’ unions. Some of these protests were stopped through physical violence including pepper spray and tear gas by the security forces. Some of these attacks were done to mothers that protested outside the schools. There have also been arrests of professors after the attack of March 8th.

We can conclude that the authorities’ opinions and roles have been ambiguous, showing their incapacity to defend the rights of the girls and not being able to clearly divide the political and social situation that Iran is facing with the lives of hundreds of innocent girls.

 

[i] Afshang, M. (2023). Iran investigates poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls with toxic gas. BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64797957

[ii] Amnesty International (2023). Iran: Millions of schoolgirls at risk of poisoning. Retrieved from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/6696/2023/en/

[iii] Amnesty International (2023). Iran: Millions of schoolgirls at risk of poisoning. Retrieved from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/6696/2023/en/

[iv] Afshang, M. (2023). Iran investigates poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls with toxic gas. BBC News Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64797957

Education Monitor: Around The Globe Week 13&14 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the second edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe”. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_13_14_2023 

Education Monitor: Around The Globe Week 11&12 2023

Broken Chalk proudly presents the first edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe”. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of  Educational problems, challenges and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.

You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.

Edcuation Monitor Around the Globe Week_11_12_2023

To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_11_12_2023 

Nuriye Gülmen: O luptă de șase ani împotriva abuzului sistemic

Nuriye Gulmen

Acum șase ani, pe 15 julie 2016, Turcia a fost tulburată de tentativa de lovitură de stat. O zi după tentativă, guvernul Turciei a declarat stare de urgență și a adoptat decretul executiv de urgență Nr. 667-676 care cenzura, în principal, jurnaliștii și mass-media,[i] dar și mii de funcționari publici, polițiști, personal din armată și profesori de universitate. Numele acestora a fost adnotat în anexa Decretului 179, pe 6 ianuarie 2017.[ii] Acești oameni, peste 150,000 la număr, și-au pierdut locul de muncă, accesul la servicii publice și li s-a îngrădit libertatea de mișcare pe motivul suspiciunii din partea guvernului că ar fi avut legătură cu cel care ar fi instigat lovitura de stat, Fetullah Gulen. Fetullah este un intelectual cleric turc care trăiește în exil în America din propria decizie, din 1999. El a negat că ar fi avut vreo legătură cu tentativa de lovitură de stat.[iii]

Una dintre persoanele afectate este Nuriye Gülmen, fostă profesoară de literatură la universitatea Selçuk din Turcia și, înainte de tentativă, în 2015, asistentă de cercetare la universitatea Eskişehir Osmangazi. [iv] Gülmen are vastă experiență în activism, cu un bagaj de confruntări legale împotriva abuzului instituțiilor turcești după ce a fost reținută 109 de zile din cauza poziției politice. [v] Ziua în care a fost eliberată și ar fi trebuit să se întoarcă la muncă, la universitatea Eskişehir, a coincis cu ziua tentativei loviturii de stat, lucru care a rezultat în întreruperea ei la universitate a doua zi.[v] Acesta a fost rezultatul noului decret, prin care a fost acuzată, împreuna cu alte mii de oameni, că ar fi fost membră FETO, o așa-zisă organizație care îl simpatizează pe Gulen, desemnată ca fiind organizație teroristă de către guvernul Erdogan. Așa a început a doua fază a istoriei ei de activism, începând să protesteze împotriva suspensiei și refuzurilor, cerându-și slujba înapoi în fiecare zi în fața Monumentului Drepturilor Omului din Ankara, unde se află Consiliul pentru Educație Superioară.[vi] Gülmen este determinată sa urmeze “tradiția revoluționară” a activismului de a obține ce vrei prin atenție politică, de data aceasta cerând să se oprească starea de urgență, să permită lucrătorilor revoluționari democratici să se întoarcă la locul de muncă, să asigure cei 13,000 de asistenți în cercetare și să ofere siguranța locului de muncă pentru toți cei care lucrează în educație și cercetare.[vii] Gülmen a început protestele pe cont propriu și a fost arestată de 26 de ori în total, lucru care poate fi atribuit atenției din surse internaționale, dar și spectatorilor domestici care îi citeau povestea pe blog. In a 50-a zi de protest, a fost numită de CNN ca fiind una dintre cele mai remarcabile femei din 2016. [viii]

Atenția din partea publicului s-a mărit și mai mult în ianuarie 2017, când a fost respinsă, nu doar suspendată, de Eskişehir, rezultând în decizia de a face greva foamei în martie, 2017. Ea a explicat că strategia din spatele grevei consta în faptul că protestele verbale sunt norma activismului și nu stimulează atenția autorităților, dar greva foamei este o acțiune suficient de radicală ca autoritățile să se simtă mai tare presiunea unei schimbări. [x]

Cu toate acestea, reacția autorităților a fost să le acuze pe Gülmen și Özakça, o altă profesoară care se alăturase protestelor, că ar fi fost implicate în activități ilegale ale Partidului Revoluționar al Liberarii (DHKP-C) și să le dețină la închisoarea Sincan din Ankara pe parcursul lunii mai din 2017.[xi] Justiția le-a găsit vinovate sub explicația că “dacă nu ar fi fost reținute, ar fi deteriorat cursul justiției”. Totuși, aceasta declarație devine contradictorie lângă faptul ca nu a existat nicio probă pentru condamnarea lor, iar avocatul celor doua a publicat cazierul lor ca dovadă a faptului că nu există nicio legătur între cele doua profesoare și Partidul Revoluționar.[xii]

A fost temut ca cele doua profesoare să fie supuse la mai multe violări ale drepturilor umane, deoarece gardienii de închisoare și doctorii au puterea legală de a întrerupe greva foamei fără acordul lor. De asemenea, ei pot interveni și daca persoanele sunt inconștiente, sub Articolul 82 a Legii de Execuție a Judecății No. 5275, care ar viola libertatea de exprimare și ar rezulta într-un tratament inuman și degradant.[xiii] În timpul unei vizite ale președintelui Ankara Bar Association, Gülmen a descris situația în care se afla împreuna cu colega ei ca “justiția dispare la fel ca mușchii [ei]”, fiind incapabilă să își miște gâtul, brațele sau să țină un stilou fără ajutor. Ca răspuns la situația celor doua femei, președintele asociației a cerut guvernului să opreasca greva prin reconciliere și negociere cu cei impactați de decretele de urgență. [xiv]  La mijlocul anului 2017, cele două activiste au înaintat un proces cu Curtea Constituțională și Curtea Europeană a Drepturilor Omului să finalizeze detenția pe motivul faptului că greva le supune la riscuri majore de sănătate. Cu toate acestea, Curtea le-a respins aplicația cu explicația ca riscurile nu le puneau în pericol viața și cele două beneficiază de măsurile medicale corespunzătoare în caz de nevoie. [xv]

Starea de sănătate a lui Gülmen s-a înrăutățit în septembrie 2017 și a fost mutată la o celulă spitalul Numune. Curtea a condamnat-o la 6 ani și 3 luni de închisoare, dar a fost eliberată din detenție la începutul lui decembrie 2017 sub control judiciar. În ciuda eliberării, Gülmen și Özakça și-au continuat protestele în fața Monumentului Drepturilor Omului. Eventual, au fost nevoite să înceteze greva in ianuarie 2018, după ce li s-a respins cererea să le fie evaluat cazul. În schimb, s-au concentrat eforturile pe acțiunile sistemului judiciar, evidențiind că lupta lor nu se oprește aici. După 324 zile de grevă, Gülmen a ajuns de la 59 de kg la 33,8- lucru care arată nivelul de seriozitate cu care a luptat pentru drepturile ei.

 

Următoarea dată când Gülmen a preluat atenția publica a fost când a fost arestată din nou, pe 11 August 2020, în timpul unei razii de poliție. Motivul arestării rămâne necunoscut [xix]. Mai târziu în același an, Gülmen și alți colegi au fost expulzați din Uniunea Angajaților pentru Educație și Știință din cauza reputației lor ca revoluționari.[xx] In 2021, Gülmen și Özakça au înaintat un alt proces cu Curtea Constituțională prin care argumentau că autoritățile judiciare nu au fost imparțiale și nici independente în timpul procesului din 2017, violeazând drepturile la libertate și securitate. Curtea le-a respins cazul pe motiv ca cele două nu aveau suficiente probe să le susțină acuzarea. [xxii]

 

Ce este cel mai evident din toată povestea de activism a lui Nuriye Gülmen este că, din 2016, guvernul Turciei a vizat sute de miii de indivizi îmntr-un mod injust, bazat pe argumente și retorici nefondate. Mai mult, a demonstrat că cei care își apără drepturile în fața activităților opresive ale guvernului sunt mai departe intimidați prin sistemul legal. Organizația BrokenChalk condamnă guvernul Turcesc și face apel la autoritățile în faptă să își reconsidere serios acțiunile care au lăsat mii de oameni fără securitatea locului de muncă sau opțiunea de a părăsi țara să își găsească de lucru. Brokenchalk insistă în special la reluare actviității de muncă ale lui Nuriye Gülmen și Semih Özakça în sfera educației.

Written by Karl Baldacchino

Edited by Erika Grimes

Translated by Bianca Balea from:

Nuriye Gülmen: A Six-Year Struggle Against Systematic Abuses

 

Surse:

[i] Grabenwarter, C. et al. (2017) ‘Draft Opinion on the Measures Provided in the Recent Emergency Decree Laws with Respect to Freedom of the Media’. European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission). Available online from: https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL(2017)006-e [Accessed on 08/03/2022], pp. 3-4.

[ii] Decree-Law No. 679 (6th January 2017) ‘Measures Regarding Public Personnel’. Available online from: https://insanhaklarimerkezi.bilgi.edu.tr/media/uploads/2017/02/09/KHK_679_ENG.pdf [Accessed 08/03/2022], p. 1.

[iii] Jones, T. (2018) ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.  DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/two-turkish-teachers-end-almost-11-month-hunger-strike/a-42318478 [Accessed 08/03/2022]; Işık, A. (2017) ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like my Muscles’’. DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/in-turkey-hope-for-justice-is-fading-away-just-like-my-muscles/a-39482207 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[iv] Halavut, H. (2017) ‘Interview with Nuriye Gülmen: ‘I Have More Hope Today Than I Did on the First Day’’.  5 Harliler. Available online from: https://www.5harfliler.com/interview-with-nuriye-gulmen/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid.; see also Gülmen, N. (2016) ‘DİRENİŞİN TALEPLERi’. Available online from: https://nuriyegulmendireniyor.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/basin-aciklamasina-cagri/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Wikipedia (2022) ‘Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuriye_G%C3%BClmen#cite_note-18 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Ibid.; see also Amnesty International (2017) ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Hunger Strikers’ Wellbeing’. Available online from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EUR4463402017ENGLISH.pdf [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[x] Ibid.

[xi] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’.

[xii] Cumhuriyet (2017) ‘Criminal Record of Gülmen and Özakça, Declared ‘Terrorists’ by Minister Soylu’. Available online from: https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/bakan-soylunun-terorist-ilan-ettigi-gulmen-ve-ozakcanin-adli-sicil-kaydi-748105 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also NTV (2017) ‘Statements by Minister Soylu about Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/bakan-soyludan-aclik-grevi-yapan-nuriye-gulmenle-ilgili-aciklamalar,Jg2i0I634EyPWqK_cXdIbg [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Milliyet (2017) ‘The Unending Scenario of a Terrorist Organisation: “The Truth of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça”’. Available online from: https://web.archive.org/web/20170813220846/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/bir-teror-orgutunun-bitmeyen-senaryosu-ankara-yerelhaber-2179760/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xiii] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’; see also ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xiv] ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xv] Armutcu, O. (2017) ‘The Constitutional Court Rejected the Appeal Against the Detention of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça’ Hurriyet. Available online from: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/anayasa-mahkemesi-nuriye-gulmen-ve-semih-ozakcanin-tutukluluguna-yapilan-itirazi-reddetti-40503721 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Cakir, A. (2017) ‘ECHR Rejects Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’s Application’. Voice of America. Available online from: https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/aihm-semih-ozakca-ve-nuriye-gulmen-in-basvurusunu-reddetti/3969669.html [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xvi] Bianet (2017) ‘Nuriye Gülmen Released’. Available online from: https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/192100-nuriye-gulmen-released [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xvii] ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.

[xviii] Ibid.

[xix] Duvar English (2020) ‘Dismissed Turkish Academic, Known for Hunger Strike, Arrested Again’. Available online from: https://www.duvarenglish.com/human-rights/2020/08/11/dismissed-turkish-academic-known-for-hunger-strike-arrested-again [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xx] Yeni Bir Mecra (2020) ‘Critical Decisions in Eğitim-Sen: Nuriye Gülmen was Expelled’. Available online from: https://yeni1mecra.com/egitim-sende-kritik-kararlar-nuriye-gulmen-ihrac-edildi/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xi] Duvar English (2021) ‘Turkey’s Top Court Rules Dismissed Educators’ Rights Not Violated’. Available online from: https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkeys-top-court-rules-rights-of-dismissed-educators-nuriye-gulmen-and-semih-ozakca-not-violated-news-59436 [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xii] Ibid.

Nuriye Gülmen: Ein sechsjähriger Kampf gegen systematischen Missbrauch

Nuriye Gulmen

Vor fast sechs Jahren wurde die Türkei durch den mutmaßlichen Putschversuch vom 15. Juli 2016 erschüttert. Einen Tag nach dem Putschversuch verhängte die türkische Regierung rasch den Ausnahmezustand und erließ die Notstandsverordnungen Nr. 667-676. Mit diesen wurden vor allem Medien und Journalisten zensiert,[i] dessen Einfluss wurde aber am 6. Januar 2017 in den Anhängen der Verordnung Nr. 679 namentlich auf Tausende Beamte, Polizisten, Angehörige der Streitkräfte, Universitätsprofessoren und Mitarbeiter ausgedehnt.[ii]  Dies führte dazu, dass insgesamt mehr als 150 000 Menschen nicht nur ihren Arbeitsplatz, sondern auch Zugang zu sozialen Diensten verloren. Des weiteren wurden sie in ihrer Bewegungsfreiheit eingeschränkt und ihr Leben durch die Anschuldigung der Regierung beeinträchtigt. Ihr Leben wurde dadurch eingeschränkt, da sie sie mit dem Putsch in Verbindung gebracht wurden, der angeblich von Fetullah Gülen, einem türkischen Gelehrten und Geistlichen, verursacht wurde. Gülen lebt seit 1999 in den USA im Exil und weist die Anschuldigungen aus Ankara hartnäckig zurück.[iii]

Eine der Personen, die von den Folgen dieser Ereignisse betroffen ist, ist Nuriye Gülmen, eine ehemalige türkische Professorin der Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft an der Selçuk-Universität. Gülmen wurde 2012, vor dem Putschversuch 2015, als wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft an die Eskişehir Osmangazi Universität berufen.[iv] Gülmen ist nicht nur Akademikerin, sondern hat viele Erfahrungen mit Aktionismus und juristischen Kämpfen gegen den Missbrauch von Institutionen in der Türkei. Nach ihrer Ernennung wurde sie aufgrund einer politischen Klage 109 Tage lang festgehalten, wodurch sich ihr Studium und ihre Wiedereinstellung an der Eskişehir-Universität verzögerten. [v]  Der Tag, an dem sie wieder zu ihrer Forschungsstelle berufen wurde, war der Tag des Putschversuchs. Dies führte dazu, dass sie am folgenden Tag von Eskişehir suspendiert wurde. Grund dafür waren die neuen Verordnungen, in denen sie, wie Tausende mit ihr, beschuldigt wurde, Mitglied der FETO zu sein. FETO meint die sogenannte Organisation der Anhänger des im Exil lebenden Gulen, welche von Erdogan und seiner Regierung als terroristische Organisation beschuldigt wurde. Dies löste die nächste Phase in Gülmen’s Aktivistengeschichte aus, in der sie seit dem 9. November 2016 jeden Tag vor dem Menschenrechtsdenkmal in der Yüksel-Straße in Ankara gegen ihre Suspendierung und schließlich Entlassung protestierte und beharrlich ihre Stelle in Eskişehir zurückforderte, wo der Hochschulrat seinen Sitz hat, und auf ihre Forderungen eingehen muss. [vi] Gülmen erklärt, dass es sich um eine “revolutionäre Tradition” handelt, bei der es darum geht, Aufmerksamkeit zu erregen und zu bekommen, was man will. In diesem Fall ist ihr Objekt der Begierde die Aufhebung des Ausnahmezustands, die Rückkehr der entlassenen revolutionär-demokratischen Staatsbediensteten an ihren Arbeitsplatz, eine Arbeitsplatzgarantie für die 13.000 wissenschaftlichen Assistenten des OYP sowie Arbeitsplatzsicherheit für alle Beschäftigten in Bildung und Wissenschaft. [vii] Gülmen begann ihren Protest weitgehend auf eigene Faust und wurde insgesamt 26 Mal verhaftet, was auf die zunehmende Aufmerksamkeit von ausländischen und inländischen Zuschauer zurückzuführen ist, die ihre Aktionen verfolgten und ihre Erfahrungen in ihrem Online-WordPress-Blog lasen. Schließlich wurde sie von CNN als eine der acht herausragenden Frauen des Jahres 2016 an ihrem fünfzigsten Tag des Protests ernannt.[viii]

 

Die Aufmerksamkeit, die Gülmen zukam, wurde nach dem Dekret vom 6. Januar 2017 noch vergrößert, als Gülmen aus Eskişehir entlassen wurde. Folge dessen trat sie am 9. März 2017 in einen Hungerstreik ein und somit den nächsten Schritt anging. Während Gülmen zusammen mit dem Grundschullehrer Semih Özakça in Polizeigewahrsam saß, erlebten die Frauen die Auswirkungen der Notstandsverordnungen hautnah mit. [ix] Der Grund für den Streik war, dass verbale Proteste in der Regel zu den Werkzeugen der Aktivisten gehören, die oft nicht genug Aufmerksamkeit von den Behörden erhalten. Jedoch ist ein Hungerstreik eine starke Aktion, die die beteiligten Akteure mit den ernsthaften Gesundheitsrisiken, die auf dem Spiel stehen in eine ähnliche Position bringt, wie das, was Gülmen als “notwendig, um den Widerstand auf die nächste Ebene zu bringen” und um “wirklich Druck auf sie auszuüben, damit sie etwas unternehmen” beschreibt. [x] Als Reaktion auf den Hungerstreik wurde am 2. Mai 2017 eine Anklageschrift beim 19. Strafgerichtshof in Ankara eingereicht. In jener Anklageschrift wurden sowohl Gülmen als auch Özakça beschuldigt, Mitglieder der Revolutionären Volksbefreiungspartei-Front (DHKP-C) zu sein und an deren illegalen Aktivitäten beteiligt gewesen zu sein. Dies führte zu ihrer Inhaftierung im Sincan-Gefängnis in Ankara am 23. Mai 2017. [xi] Das Gericht befand die beiden für schuldig, weil “eine Nichtinhaftierung der Justiz schaden würde”, was angesichts des Mangels an Beweisen für die erhobenen Vorwürfe widersprüchlich erscheint. Zudem bestreiten die beiden Lehrer weiterhin jede Beteiligung an der DHKP-C. Folge dessen veröffentlichte ihr Anwalt sogar ihre Vorstrafen als Beweis für das Fehlen einer solchen Beteiligung und wirkte somit den Bemühungen von Innenminister Süleyman Soylu und des Forschungs- und Studienzentrums seines Ministeriums, die Vorwürfe zu verfestigen, entgegen.[xii]

 

Es wurde befürchtet, dass den beiden Lehrern weitere Menschenrechtsverletzungen drohen würden, da es Gefängniswärtern und Ärzten gesetzlich erlaubt ist, einzugreifen und einen Hungerstreik, ohne die Zustimmung der Lehrer zu beenden. Sie können auch eingreifen, wenn sie bewusstlos sind, wie es in Artikel 82 des Gesetzes über die Vollstreckung des Urteils Nr. 5275 heißt, was infolgedessen die Meinungsfreiheit verletzen würde und mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit zu grausamer, unmenschlicher oder erniedrigender Behandlung oder Bestrafung führen könnte. [xiii] Während eines Besuchs von Hakan Canduran, dem Präsidenten der Anwaltskammer Ankara, und einiger seiner Kollegen, beklagte Gülmen die schlimme Situation in der sie und Özakça sich befanden, in dem sie Canduran beschrieb, dass sie sah, dass “die Gerechtigkeit genauso schwand wie [ihre] Muskeln”. Diese Aussage gab Gülmen, während sie nicht in der Lage war, ihren Hals ohne Hilfe hochzuhalten, ihre Arme zu bewegen oder einen Stift zu halten. Im Gegenzug forderte Canduran die Regierung auf, den Hungerstreik durch gesellschaftliche Versöhnung zu beenden und mit denjenigen zu verhandeln, die unfairerweise von den Notstandsverordnungen betroffen sind.[xiv] Mitte 2017 reichte das Duo beim Verfassungsgericht und auch beim Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte einen Antrag auf Beendigung der Haft ein, mit der Begründung, dass ihr Hungerstreik inzwischen ein offensichtliches Gesundheitsrisiko darstellte. Doch beide Gerichte lehnten ihren Antrag ab, da sie diese Risiken nicht als lebensbedrohlich sahen und die entsprechenden medizinischen Maßnahmen vorhanden gewesen wären, um ihnen zu helfen, falls sie diese benötigt hätten.[xv]

 

Gülmens Gesundheitszustand verschlechterte sich schließlich so sehr, dass sie am 26. September 2017 in eine Insassinenzelle im Krankenhaus in Numune verlegt wurde. Sie wurde dann am 1. Dezember aus der Haft entlassen, als das 19. Schwere Strafgericht sie zu 6 Jahren und 3 Monaten Haft verurteilte, aber ihre Freilassung unter richterlicher Kontrolle zuließ.  [xvi] Trotz ihrer Freilassung setzten Gülmen und Özakça ihren Protest vor dem Menschenrechtsdenkmal fort, mussten ihren Hungerstreik aber schließlich am 26. Januar 2018 beenden, nachdem eine von der Regierung eingesetzte Kommission zur Überprüfung ihrer Fälle abgelehnt worden war. Stattdessen versuchten sie, ihre Bemühungen künftig auf das nationale Justizsystem zu richten, wobei sie betonten, dass ihr Widerstand nicht beendet sei und weitergehen werde. [xvii] Nach 324 Tagen ihres Hungerstreiks hatte Gülmen einen beträchtlichen Teil ihres ursprünglichen Gewichts von 59 Kilogramm verloren, und wog jetzt nur noch 33,8 Kilogramm, was zeigt, wie ernst ihre Bemühungen um den Erhalt ihres Arbeitsplatzes und die Achtung ihrer Rechte waren.[xviii]

 

Das nächste Mal stand Gülmen im Rampenlicht, als sie am 11. August 2020 bei einer Polizeirazzia am 5. August im Istanbuler Idil-Kulturzentrum, das von der linken Folk-Band Grup Yurum betrieben wird, erneut verhaftet wurde, wobei die Gründe dafür ungeklärt blieben. [xix] Später im selben Jahr wurden Gülmen und weitere ihrer Kollegen aus der Gewerkschaft für Bildung und Wissenschaft (Eğitim-Sen) ausgeschlossen, weil sie in der Öffentlichkeit als “Yüksel-Widerständler” oder Widerstandskämpfer dargestellt wurden..[xx] Zuletzt hatten die beiden am 4. November 2021 vor dem Verfassungsgericht geklagt, das später ihre Aussage zurückwies. Gülmen und Özakça klagten mit dem Grund, dass die Anklage vom 2. Mai 2017 dieselben Beweise verwendet habe wie eine frühere Untersuchung vom 14. März 2017, die zu ihrer Verhaftung geführt hatte. Diese Anklage wurde aber später abgewiesen und sie wurde unter richterlicher Kontrolle freigelassen. [xxi] Das Gericht wies ihre Klage mit der Begründung ab, dass es Gülmen und Özakça an konkreten Beweisen fehle und deswegen ihre verletzten Rechte nicht geltend gemacht werden könnten. Zudem hätten die beiden nicht alle innerstaatlichen Möglichkeiten ausgeschöpft, bevor sie ihre Klage einreichten.[xxii]

 

Nuriye Gülmens mutiger Aktivismus macht deutlich, dass die türkische Regierung seit 2016 Hunderttausende von Menschen mit haltlosen Argumenten zu Unrecht ins Visier genommen hat. Diejenigen, die am stärksten betroffen sind und sich entscheiden, sich den Maßnahmen der Regierung zu widersetzen, sind erheblicher Unterdrückung durch Inhaftierung und rechtliche Einschüchterung ausgesetzt. Broken Chalk fordert die türkische Regierung und die zuständigen Behörden auf, ihre Maßnahmen ernsthaft zu überdenken, die dazu geführt haben, dass Tausende von Menschen weder einen sicheren Arbeitsplatz haben, noch die Möglichkeit, das Land zu verlassen und im Ausland Arbeit zu finden. Broken Chalk fordert insbesondere die Wiedereinsetzung von Nuriye Gülmen und Semih Özakça nebst vielen anderen in ihre jeweiligen Positionen im Bildungsbereich. Der Verlust ihrer Arbeitsstellen hat den Zugang und die Qualität der Bildung in der Türkei sicherlich verringert.

 

von Karl Baldacchino

Edited by Erika Grimes

Translated by Vivien Kretz from https://brokenchalk.org/nuriye-gulmen-a-six-year-struggle-against-systematic-abuses/

Sources:

[i] Grabenwarter, C. et al. (2017) ‘Draft Opinion on the Measures Provided in the Recent Emergency Decree Laws with Respect to Freedom of the Media’. European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission). Available online from: https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL(2017)006-e [Accessed on 08/03/2022], pp. 3-4.

[ii] Decree-Law No. 679 (6th January 2017) ‘Measures Regarding Public Personnel’. Available online from: https://insanhaklarimerkezi.bilgi.edu.tr/media/uploads/2017/02/09/KHK_679_ENG.pdf [Accessed 08/03/2022], p. 1.

[iii] Jones, T. (2018) ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.  DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/two-turkish-teachers-end-almost-11-month-hunger-strike/a-42318478 [Accessed 08/03/2022]; Işık, A. (2017) ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like my Muscles’’. DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/in-turkey-hope-for-justice-is-fading-away-just-like-my-muscles/a-39482207 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[iv] Halavut, H. (2017) ‘Interview with Nuriye Gülmen: ‘I Have More Hope Today Than I Did on the First Day’’.  5 Harliler. Available online from: https://www.5harfliler.com/interview-with-nuriye-gulmen/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid.; see also Gülmen, N. (2016) ‘DİRENİŞİN TALEPLERi’. Available online from: https://nuriyegulmendireniyor.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/basin-aciklamasina-cagri/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Wikipedia (2022) ‘Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuriye_G%C3%BClmen#cite_note-18 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Ibid.; see also Amnesty International (2017) ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Hunger Strikers’ Wellbeing’. Available online from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EUR4463402017ENGLISH.pdf [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[x] Ibid.

[xi] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’.

[xii] Cumhuriyet (2017) ‘Criminal Record of Gülmen and Özakça, Declared ‘Terrorists’ by Minister Soylu’. Available online from: https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/bakan-soylunun-terorist-ilan-ettigi-gulmen-ve-ozakcanin-adli-sicil-kaydi-748105 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also NTV (2017) ‘Statements by Minister Soylu about Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/bakan-soyludan-aclik-grevi-yapan-nuriye-gulmenle-ilgili-aciklamalar,Jg2i0I634EyPWqK_cXdIbg [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Milliyet (2017) ‘The Unending Scenario of a Terrorist Organisation: “The Truth of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça”’. Available online from: https://web.archive.org/web/20170813220846/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/bir-teror-orgutunun-bitmeyen-senaryosu-ankara-yerelhaber-2179760/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xiii] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’; see also ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xiv] ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xv] Armutcu, O. (2017) ‘The Constitutional Court Rejected the Appeal Against the Detention of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça’ Hurriyet. Available online from: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/anayasa-mahkemesi-nuriye-gulmen-ve-semih-ozakcanin-tutukluluguna-yapilan-itirazi-reddetti-40503721 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Cakir, A. (2017) ‘ECHR Rejects Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’s Application’. Voice of America. Available online from: https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/aihm-semih-ozakca-ve-nuriye-gulmen-in-basvurusunu-reddetti/3969669.html [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xvi] Bianet (2017) ‘Nuriye Gülmen Released’. Available online from: https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/192100-nuriye-gulmen-released [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xvii] ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.

[xviii] Ibid.

[xix] Duvar English (2020) ‘Dismissed Turkish Academic, Known for Hunger Strike, Arrested Again’. Available online from: https://www.duvarenglish.com/human-rights/2020/08/11/dismissed-turkish-academic-known-for-hunger-strike-arrested-again [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xx] Yeni Bir Mecra (2020) ‘Critical Decisions in Eğitim-Sen: Nuriye Gülmen was Expelled’. Available online from: https://yeni1mecra.com/egitim-sende-kritik-kararlar-nuriye-gulmen-ihrac-edildi/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xi] Duvar English (2021) ‘Turkey’s Top Court Rules Dismissed Educators’ Rights Not Violated’. Available online from: https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkeys-top-court-rules-rights-of-dismissed-educators-nuriye-gulmen-and-semih-ozakca-not-violated-news-59436 [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xii] Ibid.

Nuriye Gülmen: Hatéves küzdelem a Törökországban történő rendszeres visszaélések ellen

Nuriye Gulmen

Közel hat évvel ezelőtt, 2016. július 15-én Törökországot megrázta egy puccskísérlet, amelyet a török kormány szerint Fetullah Gülen, az 1999 óta az Egyesült Államokban önszántából száműzetésben élő török tudós-klerikus tervelt ki. Gülen kitartóan tagad minden ilyen jellegű vádat.[i] A kísérletet követő napon a török kormány szükségállapotot rendelt el, és elfogadta a 667-676. számú sürgősségi végrehajtási rendeleteket, amelyek elsősorban a médiát és az újságírókat cenzúrázták,[ii] majd 2017. január 6-án a 679. számú rendelet mellékleteiben név szerint kiterjesztette a hatályt több ezer köztisztviselőre, rendőrre, fegyveres erő alkalmazottjára, egyetemi tanárra és más egyetemi alkalmazottakra.[iii] Ennek következtében összesen több mint 150 000 ember veszítette el az állását, a szociális szolgáltatásokhoz való hozzáférését, mozgásszabadságukat korlátozták, és életük folyásának meghatározó részévé vált a kormány azon vádja, hogy kapcsolatban álltak a puccsal.

 

Ezen események által érintett személlyé vált Nuriye Gülmen is, aki 2012-ben még a Selçuk Egyetem török összehasonlító irodalomtudományi professzoraként dolgozott, a puccskísérletet megelőzően, 2015-ben pedig az Eskişehir Osmangazi Egyetem kutatóasszisztenseként tevékenykedett.[iv] Gülmen akadémiai tevékenységei mellett a törökországi intézményekben történő visszaélések elleni aktivizmus és jogi csaták történetével is foglalkozott, mivel professzori kinevezése után személyesen is érintetté vált egy politikai perben, melynek során 109 napig volt jogtalanul őrizetben. Ez késleltette tanulmányait és az Eskişehirbe való visszahelyezését is.[v]

Gülment pont a puccskísérlet napján helyezték vissza kutatói állásába azonban az események fényében másnap az Eskişehirből újból felfüggesztették azon frissen kiadott rendeletek nyomán, amelyek több ezer tudóssal együtt Gülment is azzal vádolták, hogy tagja a FETÖ-nek, azaz a török kormány által terrorista szervezetnek nyilvánított Gülent támogató mozgalomnak.

Amikor Gülment 2016. november 9-én felfüggesztették, aktív ellenállásba kezdett. Gülmen a jogtalan felfüggesztések és elbocsájtások ellen tiltakozott és minden nap kitartóan követelte az Eskişehiri pozíciójába való visszahelyezését az ankarai Yüksel utcában található Emberi Jogi Emlékmű előtt. Az emlékmű a Felsőoktatási Tanács székhelyénél van elhelyezve, mely intézménynek hivatali kötelessége lenne válaszolni minden felsőoktatási rendszerben történő igazságtalansággal kapcsolatban megfogalmazott követelésre, így Gülmenére is.[vi] Az Emberi Jogi Emlékmű előtt történő tiltakozás Gülmen szerint egy „forradalmi hagyomány” volt, amelynek célja a figyelem felkeltése és nyomásgyakorlás a kitűzött cél eléréséhez, ebben az esetben a szükségállapot megszüntetésének és az közalkalmazotti és tudományos területen történt elbocsátások semmissé tételének eléréséhez.[vii]

Gülmen egyedül kezdte meg a tiltakozást, mely során összesen 26 alkalommal tartóztatták le. Tevékenységét egyre nagyobb érdeklődéssel követte nyomon mind a külföldi és a hazai sajtó: az online WordPress blogján publikálták Gülmen tapasztalatait megmozdulásaival kapcsolatban, míg a CNN a 2016-os év nyolc kiemelkedő nője közé választotta Gülment tiltakozásának ötvenedik napján.[viii] A nőt érő figyelem még jelentősebbé vált a 2017. január 6-i kormányrendelet után, mely értelmében többek között Gülment is végleg elbocsátották az Eskişehirből.

A nő ennek következtében ellenállási stratégiáit új szintre emelte, és 2017. március 9-én éhségsztrájkba kezdett Semih Özakça általános iskolai tanárral együtt.[ix] Az éhségsztrájk hatására 2017. május 2-án a kormány vádiratot nyújtott be az ankarai büntetőbírósághoz, amelyben Gülment és Özakçát a terrorszervezetként nyilvántartott Forradalmi Népi Felszabadítási Párt-Front (DHKP-C) tagjaiként azonosították és azzal vádolták őket, hogy részt vesznek a párt tiltott tevékenységeiben. A vádirat nyomán Gülmen és Özakça 2017. május 23-ig rendőrségi őrizetbe került és az ankarai Sincan börtönben raboskodott.[x] A bíróság azzal indokolta letartóztatásukat, hogy „szabadlábon akadályoznák az igazságszolgáltatást”. A bíróság indoklása azonban nem volt megalapozott, tekintve, hogy a két tanár ellen benyújtott vádak nem tartalmaztak bizonyítékokat, továbbá Gülmen és Özakça is tagadta a DHKP-C-vel való bármilyen kapcsolatát. Ennek alátámasztására a tanárok ügyvédje még a bűnügyi nyilvántartásukat is nyilvánosságra hozta, hogy bebizonyítsa, Gülmennek és Özakçának semmilyen kapcsolata nincs a szervezettel. Mindeközben Szulejmán Soylu belügyminiszter és minisztériumának kutatási és tanulmányi központja mindent megtett, hogy megszilárdítsák a vádakat a tanárok ellen.[xi]

 

A tanárok további emberi jogi jogsértésekkel néztek szembe, mivel a börtönőrök a törvény szerint az érintett személyek beleegyezése nélkül is beavatkozhatnak és véget vethetnek az éhségsztrájknak. Ez azonban sérti a véleménynyilvánítás szabadságát, és kegyetlen, embertelen és megalázó bánásmódot vagy büntetést is eredményezhet az érintett személyek irányába.[xii]

Az Ankarai Ügyvédi Kamara elnöke, Hakan Canduran és néhány kollégájának látogatása során Gülmen kifejezte, milyen szörnyű helyzetbe kerültek Özakçával, ahol „az igazságszolgáltatás éppúgy épül le, mint [Gülmen] izmai” az éhségsztrájk következtében. Ekkor a nő már képtelen volt nyakát segítség nélkül felemelni, mozgatni a karját vagy tollat fogni. Canduran ennek hatására felszólította a kormányt, hogy a társadalmi megbékélés érdekében vessen véget az éhségsztrájknak, és tárgyaljon a tanárokkal és azokkal, akiket igazságtalanul érintettek a szükségállapot-rendeletek.[xiii] Ezen kérések azonban nem teljesültek, így 2017 közepén Gülmen és Özakça az Alkotmánybírósághoz és az Emberi Jogok Európai Bíróságához is beadvánnyal fordult szabadságvesztésük megszüntetése érdekében, mivel éhségsztrájkjuk addigra már nyilvánvaló egészségügyi kockázatot jelentett. Keresetüket azonban mindkét bíróság elutasította arra hivatkozva, hogy az éhségsztrájk következtében felmerülő kockázatok nem voltak életveszélyesek, illetve életveszély esetén is a megfelelő orvosi intézkedések állnának rendelkezésükre.[xiv]

Gülmen egészségi állapota egyre súlyosabbá vált, így végül 2017. szeptember 26-án átszállították a Numune kórházi cellába. Közben a bíróság Gülment bűnösnek találta a DHKP-C-vel fenntartott (állítólagos) kapcsolatai miatt, és 6 év 3 hónap börtönbüntetésre ítélte. Azonban Gülmen a bíróság döntése elleni fellebbezésének elbírálásáig és Özakça októberi szabadlábra helyezése után, december 1-jén végül a nőt is szabadon engedték bírósági felügyelet mellett.[xv]

Szabadulásukkal Gülmen és Özakça folytatták tiltakozásukat az Emberi Jogi Emlékmű előtt, azonban 2018. január 26-án felhagytak az éhségsztrájkkal, miután a Szükségállapoti Kormánybizottság elutasította őket, mely bizottság a munkájukból a szükségállapot elrendelésével felmentett dolgozók fellebbezését vizsgálta felül. Gülmen és Özakça így újból az igazságszolgáltatási rendszerben igyekeztek erőfeszítéseiknek érvényt szerezni, hangsúlyozva, hogy ellenállásuk nem ért véget.[xvi] A 324 napos éhségsztrájk után Gülmen 59 kilogrammról 33,8 kilogrammra fogyott, mely demonstrálja a nő elkötelezettségét követelései mellett, vagyis a kormány visszaéléseinek megszüntetését, munkahelyi pozíciókba történő visszahelyezéseket, illetve emberi jogok tiszteletben tartását.[xvii]

Gülmen legközelebb akkor került reflektorfénybe, amikor 2020. augusztus 11-én tisztázatlan körülmények között ismét letartóztatták az isztambuli Idil kulturális központban tartott rendőrségi razzia során, mely központot a Grup Yurum nevű baloldali népzenei együttes működtette.[xviii] Még abban az évben Gülment és más letartóztatott személyeket kizártak az Oktatási és Tudományos Dolgozók Szakszervezetéből (Eğitim-Sen), mivel a nyilvánosság előtt „Yüksel Resistanceistaként”, azaz ellenállóként szerepeltek.[xix]

Az utolsó nyomon követhető fejlemény Gülmennel és Özakçával kapcsolatban 2021. november 4-én történt, amikor a páros az Alkotmánybírósághoz fordult az őket ért jogsérelmekkel kapcsolatban. Ezen beadványukat azonban elutasították arra hivatkozva, hogy egy régebbi ügy során ugyanezeket a bizonyítékokat mutatták be a tanárok, valamint, hogy beadványuk nem tartalmazott konkrét bizonyítékokat azzal kapcsolatban, hogy valóban jogsérelem érte őket munkahelyi pozíciójuk elvesztése és letartóztatásuk során. A bíróság azt is szóvá tette, hogy szerinte a két tanár nem merített ki minden hazai eszközt ügyük érdekében az Alkotmánybírósághoz benyújtott keresetük előtt.[xx]

Nuriye Gülmen történetén keresztül kirajzolódik, hogyan vett a török kormány és intézkedéseik több százezer embert igazságtalanul és alaptalanul célba 2016 óta. Akik pedig úgy döntöttek, hogy ezen igazságtalanságokkal szembe szállnak, súlyos retorzióval és elnyomással néztek és néznek szembe a mai napig.

A Broken Chalk felszólítja a török kormányt és az érintett hatóságokat, hogy komolyan vizsgálják felül intézkedéseiket, melyek ezreket fosztottak meg munkahelyeiktől vagy akár a lehetőségtől, hogy elhagyhassák Törökországot. A szervezet különösen fontosnak tartja Nuriye Gülmen és Semih Özakça, és a velük hasonló sorsra jutott személyek visszahelyezését az oktatás területén betöltött pozícióikba, ugyanis eltávolításuk minden bizonnyal csökkentette az oktatáshoz való hozzáférést és annak minőségét Törökországban.

 

 

Írta: Karl Baldacchino

Fordította: Farkas Johanna

Translated from : https://brokenchalk.org/nuriye-gulmen-a-six-year-struggle-against-systematic-abuses/

Sources:

[i] Jones, T. (2018) ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.  DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/two-turkish-teachers-end-almost-11-month-hunger-strike/a-42318478 [Accessed 08/03/2022]; Işık, A. (2017) ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like my Muscles’’. DW. Available online from: https://www.dw.com/en/in-turkey-hope-for-justice-is-fading-away-just-like-my-muscles/a-39482207 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[ii] Grabenwarter, C. et al. (2017) ‘Draft Opinion on the Measures Provided in the Recent Emergency Decree Laws with Respect to Freedom of the Media’. European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission). Available online from: https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL(2017)006-e [Accessed on 08/03/2022], pp. 3-4.

[iii] Decree-Law No. 679 (6th January 2017) ‘Measures Regarding Public Personnel’. Available online from: https://insanhaklarimerkezi.bilgi.edu.tr/media/uploads/2017/02/09/KHK_679_ENG.pdf [Accessed 08/03/2022], p. 1.

[iv] Halavut, H. (2017) ‘Interview with Nuriye Gülmen: ‘I Have More Hope Today Than I Did on the First Day’’.  5 Harliler. Available online from: https://www.5harfliler.com/interview-with-nuriye-gulmen/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid.; see also Gülmen, N. (2016) ‘DİRENİŞİN TALEPLERi’. Available online from: https://nuriyegulmendireniyor.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/basin-aciklamasina-cagri/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Wikipedia (2022) ‘Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuriye_G%C3%BClmen#cite_note-18 [Accessed 08/03/2022].

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Ibid.; see also Amnesty International (2017) ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Hunger Strikers’ Wellbeing’. Available online from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EUR4463402017ENGLISH.pdf [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[x] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’.

[xi] Cumhuriyet (2017) ‘Criminal Record of Gülmen and Özakça, Declared ‘Terrorists’ by Minister Soylu’. Available online from: https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/bakan-soylunun-terorist-ilan-ettigi-gulmen-ve-ozakcanin-adli-sicil-kaydi-748105 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also NTV (2017) ‘Statements by Minister Soylu about Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’. Available online from: https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/bakan-soyludan-aclik-grevi-yapan-nuriye-gulmenle-ilgili-aciklamalar,Jg2i0I634EyPWqK_cXdIbg [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Milliyet (2017) ‘The Unending Scenario of a Terrorist Organisation: “The Truth of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça”’. Available online from: https://web.archive.org/web/20170813220846/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/bir-teror-orgutunun-bitmeyen-senaryosu-ankara-yerelhaber-2179760/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xii] ‘Urgent Action: Fear for Strikers’ Wellbeing’; see also ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xiii] ‘In Turkey, Hope for ‘Justice is Fading Away Just like My Muscles’.

[xiv] Armutcu, O. (2017) ‘The Constitutional Court Rejected the Appeal Against the Detention of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça’ Hurriyet. Available online from: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/anayasa-mahkemesi-nuriye-gulmen-ve-semih-ozakcanin-tutukluluguna-yapilan-itirazi-reddetti-40503721 [Accessed on 08/03/2022]; see also Cakir, A. (2017) ‘ECHR Rejects Semih Özakça and Nuriye Gülmen’s Application’. Voice of America. Available online from: https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/aihm-semih-ozakca-ve-nuriye-gulmen-in-basvurusunu-reddetti/3969669.html [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xv] Bianet (2017) ‘Nuriye Gülmen Released’. Available online from: https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/192100-nuriye-gulmen-released [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xvi] ‘Two Turkish Teachers End Almost 11-Month Hunger Strike’.

[xvii] Ibid.

[xviii] Duvar English (2020) ‘Dismissed Turkish Academic, Known for Hunger Strike, Arrested Again’. Available online from: https://www.duvarenglish.com/human-rights/2020/08/11/dismissed-turkish-academic-known-for-hunger-strike-arrested-again [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xix] Yeni Bir Mecra (2020) ‘Critical Decisions in Eğitim-Sen: Nuriye Gülmen was Expelled’. Available online from: https://yeni1mecra.com/egitim-sende-kritik-kararlar-nuriye-gulmen-ihrac-edildi/ [Accessed on 08/03/2022].

[xx] Ibid.