I couldn’t think of a slogan!

Hello,

1069300_150926198447004_419539425_n-300x200Cuss-words aside, the participants of Gezi protests created many innovative slogans since the beginning of the Resistance. Among them, one captured my attention: “I couldn’t think of a slogan!”.

The writer of this slogan took the streets to express his feelings through graffiti. I guess, s/he couldn’t come up with anything about what was going on and wrote instead, “I couldn’t think of a slogan.” So, it is a fact that we have become speechless in the face of police practices and statements made by the prime minister and ministers.

I myself couldn’t think of a slogan either to express what I’ve been going through since the 20th of June. That is why I have used this creative slogan as the title of my letter. I was detained on June 20th at my parent’s home in Ankara. 9 police officers, who seemed like coming straight out of Behzat Ç., a Turkish cop drama, raided our home at 6 a.m..

They claimed that the Izmir Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant for me and stormed into our home. They said that they were there to search the perimeter. I have stated that I was a guest in my parent’s house, that I actually resided in Izmir, but it was in vain. They didn’t listen to me. I said that they could not carry out a search without my lawyer being present. Male police officers attempted to search my sister’s room. They have seized many magazines, newspapers, film CDs, memory sticks and hard drives, none of which belonged to me.

I’ve got transferred to İzmir after being kept in custody for 2 days. On the third day I appeared before the public prosecutor. I was then sent to the court for trial of being a “member of an illegal organization”. Any evidence? The only evidence is my participation to the Gezi protests. It is claimed that I have participated to the protests by following the aforementioned organization’s calls and statements issued in its website. It is claimed that I followed the organization’s instructions and provoked people during the events, which took place in İzmir between 31st of May and 5th of June. However, I was in İzmir only at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of June. Moreover, the organization made its statement-call on the 6th of June.

A photo of someone, obviously not me, was taken in the 4th of June and it was displayed as an evidence. The person on the photo was seen throwing a rock. I was not even in İzmir on that very date. Besides, if throwing rock is considered as an adequate evidence, then the people who were throwing rocks on the streets during Gezi protests are all “members of an illegal organization”. If all those people are the members of an illegal organization, it is only called a despicable situation for the state!

What else can I say? I am a prisoner since  June 23rd at (İzmir) Kırıklar F-Type Prison No. 1. My name is İbrahim Kaya. I have to write a petition even for the smallest things.

This time, I am writing a petition addressed to the Kurdish and Turkish peoples. I am filing a complaint against this government, this state, this mentality, which murdered 5 people, injured thousands -60 of them seriously wounded- and arrested hundreds of people during the Gezi park protests.

Your immediate attention to this matter is appreciated.

Kırıklar F-Type Prison No. 1
Buca/İzmir

İbrahim Kaya
23 July 2013
Source: Social Media

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