Victims of Turkish crackdown deserve more than a pardon

Victims of Turkish crackdown deserve more than a pardon


Every day you hear about the thousands of people who have been affected by government decrees issued under Turkey’s ongoing state of emergency. In a country like Turkey, where thousands have been arrested and hundreds die in violence each month, lives can easily be turned into numbers. Today I want to share one story, one life behind these thousands.

Gökhan Açıkkollu was a young history teacher. After the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, he was fired from his job under an emergency decree. On July 25, 2016, he was detained due to allegations of having links the Gülen movement, accused of carrying out the coup.