CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION MOVEMENT IN TURKEY was born when Tayfun Gönül and Vedat Zencir declared via the Sokak magazine that they rejected the military service, in December 1989 and February 1990 respectively.
Via this movement, Turkey was witnessing an anti-militarist campaign for the first time. This campaign “No to Military Service!” initiated in 1990 lead to the Anti-War Associations established in Izmir in December 1992, and in Istanbul in 1993. Then the campaign named “No to Military Trials!” was started to draw attention to the trials of civilians in the military courts.
This is how they were shaped... They started their long journey with many roadblocks. They faced intense persecution and censorship in between 1994 and 1999. They were tried and convicted in military courts for “disinclining people from the military service” and “breaking the national endurance”. They did not give up; they grew larger and magnified their reactions.
In 2002, Mehmet Bal became the first person to declare his conscientious objection while still a soldier. When Halil Savda was taken to the military unit in 2004, he declared his conscientious objection and he was tried while under detention. Mehmet Tarhan, who was arrested and taken to the military unit in 2005, as different from the previous cases, was accused on “insistence on disobeying orders publicly and in order to avoid military service completely” and imprisoned in military jails for 11 months.
While being convicted, facing tortures, they organized creative and inspiring events in the streets in order to be heard. They organized the “militourism festival” on May 15th, 2004 and “the rice festival of the conscientious objectors” in front of the Medical Barracks in the same year. During this time, “the Conscientious Objection Commission” was established under the Human Rights Association in Istanbul.
Their voice was heard in Europe. In the beginning of 2006, the ECtHR found Turkey guilty in the case of Osman Murat Ülke and described the pressure exercised by the Turkish state on conscientious objectors as “civil death.” In 2007, Enver Aydemir became the first person to declare his conscientious objection in Turkey on religious grounds . For the last 4 years, the European Council Committee of Parliamentarians has been sending warnings to Turkey every six months to have new regulations about the conscientious objection. In 2010, the number of conscientious objectors in Turkey reached 121, including 24 women and 5 visually impaired participants.
“… in short, commanders, this is what I’m saying. I learnt that there exists a right to conscientious objection. I am using this right… and I want you to know that I will not take any arms to my hands ever – even if it is to be aimed at you. Because I know that my words will hit you like bullet. I prefer to die rather than kill. Here I am, waiting for you.”
These are the closing words of Inan Suver’s declaration of objection to military service. Since August 5, he is held at the Sirinyer Military Prison of Izmir, which is famous with its torture.
It is honoring and encouraging to receive this award on behalf of the conscientious objectors who chose, like Hrant, to live “a little skittishly, yet so free”, and like Hrant, optimistically cling to an obstinacy to exist here and stay here. I would like to thank the International Hrant Dink Award Committee and the jury.
The conscientious objectors have been condemned to a vicious circle of prison-barracks-military courts for 20 years in this country; and, even if they are not arrested they are convicted to a “civilian death” as the European Court of Human Rights defined. What they actually say is: either you shut up/give up, or let us stigmatize you with the “unfit to serve” report we will issue, either you lock yourselves to your homes and build your own prisons or leave this country.
Hrant said: “Leaving the ‘burning hell’ to run to ‘ready-made heavens’ was not for me. We were of those who aspired to turn the hell they live in, into heaven.” We can only walk on with the feeling of responsibility we feel to the ones who are able to say this.
We are able to walk on with the inspiration of the women objectors who change the rules of the “game”, or even, spoil the game by declaring their objections.
We are able to walk on with the encouragement of those who persist on not turning a blind eye, who take on responsibility to make our struggle visible.
Every manifest of conscientious objection means a personal commitment to struggle against militarism and speak the language of peace. And with this award, we now give our word to Hrant.
Hrant, we promise to keep our word!
Thank you.