During the events, visitors also watched the documentary The Other Children. Exhibition coordinator Aslıhan Kaş announced an upcoming documentary focused on women. The new film will delve into the harrowing human rights abuses experienced by women, including strip searches, electric torture, mock executions, and ethnic discrimination-based abuse. It will feature the stories of dismissed teachers, writers, and Kurdish women. If you would like the life stories of persecuted loved ones to be documented as part of a film, exhibition, or book, please get in touch with us.
Interviews with over 50 visitors during the exhibition brought emotional moments:
Mesut İnci:
“I saw Murat Tekin’s memory at the exhibition, and I couldn’t eat that day. I have four children, and when I hug them, I think of the fathers who cannot embrace their own. This is a significant struggle, and we must do everything we can to raise broader awareness.”
Mehmet Maza:
“As someone who spent 2.5 years in prison, I thought of the friends I left behind. I deeply understand their suffering. Haluk Savaş’s glasses and prayer beads made from olive pits moved me deeply. Let our brothers and sisters in Turkey know that we will never forget them.”
Jazgul:
“I’m from Kyrgyzstan. Right after our independence in 1992, three schools were opened. Orhan İnandı, one of the founders of education services in Kyrgyzstan, was our role model. Seeing his memories at the exhibition made me very emotional. From them, we learned Turkish, love, and peace.”
Musa:
“Unfortunately, these events happened in a country where democracy is absent. While reading these stories, I thought of my own children. The experiences of the cadet brutally killed by having his throat cut affected me deeply. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Turkey; this injustice will be resolved.”
Ezime:
“Our brothers and sisters in Turkey should not lose hope; these dark days will pass.”
Erdoğan:
“We are trying to understand the suffering of people experiencing human rights violations in Turkey and are making efforts for them. It is particularly inspiring to see young people from Turkey supporting those left behind.”
Süeda:
“I was tasked with sharing three memories at my table during the exhibition. There are so many heartbreaking stories. Even though I have been in the U.S. for ten years, I realized I had forgotten many things. Remembering and standing in solidarity are precious. The resilience of our older brothers and sisters in Turkey is an example for us.”
Mustafa:
“I feel ashamed for not being able to be there for them as much as I should have as a fellow human. I am sorry for not doing enough. I hope these difficulties end soon. We must do all we can to bring these stories to international attention. To our brothers and sisters in Turkey: I apologize; please forgive us.”
Orhan İnandı’s Medical Arm Sling:
The arm sling used by educator Orhan İnandı following torture and letters he wrote in prison symbolize his resistance.
Six-Year-Old Cevdet’s Blender:
The blender, kept close during a perilous journey by Cevdet, a child with cerebral palsy, symbolizes the challenges he faced.
Habip Akbaş’s Camouflage Uniform:
The camouflage uniform of Habip Akbaş, a Hizmet Movement volunteer imprisoned and later killed in a suspicious car accident, reminds visitors of his tragic story.
Özge Elif Hendekci’s Lawyer Robe and Bahar’s Memories:
Detained during the witch hunt of July 15, 2016, lawyer and mother Özge Elif Hendekci spent five years in prison with her 3-month-old baby. Her donated lawyer’s robe and her daughter Bahar’s keepsakes shared their painful story and continued quest for justice.
The next stop for the exhibition will be Utah, where three separate programs are planned for February at two universities and a Turkish cultural center. Efforts continue to amplify the voices of the persecuted to broader audiences.
We will continue to be the voice of the silenced.
