Turkish gov’t targets Gergerlioglu[1] a prominent human rights defender

There are several human rights violations are going on in Turkey. And also, it is not easy for human rights defender to do their work. Amnesty International Turkey’s former Chair, Taner Kılıç, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for membership of the Gülen movement.[2]

He is an activist, human rights defender, and a Turkish Parliament member (People’s Democracy Party-HDP) named Omer Faruk Gergelioglu. Gergerlioğlu had been dismissed from the medical profession by a decree (KHK) issued under the state of emergency on January 7, 2017. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on February 21 for social media posts about the Kurdish issue and the breakdown of the peace process in 2015.


He firmly stands against all kinds of human rights violations in Turkey. Nowadays, he was targeted by the parliament members of the ruling party (AKP). There was a strip search on female university students in Usak[3]. Gergerlioglu increases his voice against this horrible act[4] and got support from many people within Turkey. People who face strip search publish their stories on social media.


Gergerlioğlu said. “They attack me because I oppose sexual harassment of women, men, and children, and because all of the public is with me, the nation is behind me,”

The Following sentence has belonged to Ozlem Zengin, deputy head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) bloc in parliament.

“No parliamentarian terrorizes parliament as much as Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu. I categorically do not believe that strip searches exist in Turkey. Such a thing does not exist,” [5]

Furthermore, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has branded HDP deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu a “terrorist” after the latter exposed the practice of strip searches by police.[6] Soylu also called the judiciary to open a case against Gergerlioglu, and he said, “I here call on the judiciary. This man is a terrorist. We have filed several lawsuits against him; do what is necessary,” [7]

After the above calls, a few days ago, a summary was prepared against Gergerlioğlu for his tweet about the arrests of mothers with babies, accusing of ‘provoking the public to hatred and hostility’ by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.[8]

Most media outlets are under the Government’s control; they are writing against the Gergerlioglu.[9] [10] Their main aim is to stop Gergerlioglu’s activities as a human rights defender. He is among the few figures in Turkey who firmly stands against the human rights violation. Turkey needs human rights defender like him these days more than ever.

In this respect, Protecting human rights is becoming more difficult every day in Turkey. Government increases its control on NGO’s[11] and human rights defenders are doing their work under the pressure of the Turkish Government. At Broken Chalk, one of our primary duties is to protect and support all human rights defenders worldwide.

If the human rights defenders and organizations present their support to him openly, the Turkish Government will reduce her pressure on Gergerlioglu. Moreover, Gergerlioglu increases his voice and fights against the violations of human rights in Turkey.

Broken Chalk

[1] Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (born 2 November 1964, in Şarkikaraağaç, Turkey) is a medical doctor (pulmonologist), human rights activist and an MP (Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly – TBMM) for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). He has dedicated his political career to fighting against human rights violations in Turkey.

[2] https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/turkey-amnesty-chair-convicted-travesty-justice

[3] https://www.duvarenglish.com/strip-search-sexual-violence-claims-in-turkish-prisons-prompt-outrage-news-55501

[4] I will not give up following the incident in which the young female students got strip-searched on 31 August in Usak Police HQ. https://twitter.com/gergerlioglueng/status/1338956656151994369

[5] https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/22122020

[6] https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-interior-minister-suleyman-soylu-brands-hdp-mp-omer-faruk-gergerlioglu-terrorist-for-exposing-practice-of-strip-searches-in-police-custody-news-55621

[7] https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-interior-minister-suleyman-soylu-brands-hdp-mp-omer-faruk-gergerlioglu-terrorist-for-exposing-practice-of-strip-searches-in-police-custody-news-55621

[8] http://mezopotamyaajansi25.com/en/ALL-NEWS/content/view/121659

[9] https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2020/12/24/son-dakika-icisleri-bakani-soyludan-hdpli-gergerliogluna-bu-adam-muptezeldir-teroristtir

[10] https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/bakan-soylu-gergerlioglu-fetocu-bir-teroristtir-540659.html

[11] https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-tightens-control-over-ngos-to-combat-terrorism/a-56088205

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