Ege Dündar’s speech
In hopefull wishes for a common future.
I was born into the possibility of a new world . I am one among a generation that today has the means to be informed of his fellow people in all corners of the world. Our perception is one that is global, yet I am saddened to see our consideration growing narrow. Our walls are reaching higher and we are mistaken to think that we are immune to each others sarrow. Day by day the need for solidarity deepens. From climate change to security fascism barring our rights we face the same challenges. I am here to ask only for your consideration.
My father was in jail for 92 days along with his Ankara Bureau Chief Erdem Gul for publishing evidence of an illegal arms transfer. Fascism in it’s core is the decisive systemic recycling of a false perception. I was witness first hand to this fact. The government and the President of the Republic Erdogan embraced the narrative that father and Erdem were not journalists but spies, aiding an armed terror organization attempting to overthrow the government. I must’ve heard this, and I am not exaggerating, hundreds of times in progovernment newspapers, radios, TV channels and more. The argument was that it was treason to publish the story because it was state secret. The duty of a journalist is never to safeguard the dirty dealings of the state. If it were, we would’ve never known of Irangate, Watergate, Ponting Affairs and many more.
So we tried our best to voice our cause. Dad and Erdem wrote a letter to all European leaders attending a summit in Brussels with Turkey, warning them of the criminal activity of the gov. and their attempts to muzzle any critical perspective that saw 34 journalists jailed including them. The summit was a shamefull attempt by the EU to stop the flow of refugees by paying Turkey to become a concentration camp and promising entry to Schengen areas. Walking into the summit the leaders had dad’s letter in one pocket and the 3bn euros they would give to Turkey on the other. Ultimately the money in the right pocket overshadowed the letter in the left. There was not a single mention by any of the leaders in the summit smiling and posing for the cameras with the prime minister of the core values of European democracy such as freedom of expression and speech. The EU abetted Turkey’s crimes in fear of people escaping a war that they partially fueled. Thankfully the Constitonal Court set dad and Erdem free a week ago. Yet Erdogan empowered by the legitimacy granted by the EU had the guts to say he doesn’t respect nor will he abide by the CC ruling.I think being an ally is not solely about arms and armies but about safeguarding democracy. Not about abetting crimes but about helping to correct them.
We are not free in a narrow consciousness and a bright future ultimately calls for common care. For some its too good to be true but nothing is to change until we start to believe. Altough dad and erdem are free absurd charges remain against them and they are being tried for 2 life sentences still and Erdogan is more oppressive by day. You can help by showing solidarity and voicing these illegal arms transfers and calling out such shamefull agreements and dad and erdem can help reveal the ugly truth in Syria if they are allowed to work. In hopefull wishes for a common future, I thank your consideration.
Ege Dündar, 4. mars 2016
