TOM LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HEARING FOCUSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN TURKEY

Panelists (l-r) Alp Aslandogan, Enes Kanter Freedom,

and Dr. Michael Rubin

Kanter Freedom expressed that in Turkey opposition parties, politicians, and journalists “continue to face widespread prosecution under Erdogan’s authoritarian rule,” and despite clear rulings from European courts, these actions of silencing individuals by imprisonment “demonstrate the Turkish government’s blatant disregard for democratic norms and international human rights obligations.”

As a survivor of Erdogan’s repressive government, Kanter Freedom, who is a U.S. citizen, has spoken out to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, including 3 million people in Turkey who have been labeled as terrorists. He stated that he has 12 arrest warrants, a $500,000 bounty on his head, and narrowly escaped a kidnapping. The implications affected his family as well, as his father was imprisoned and his mother was recently detained in Turkey.

“The Turkish government has abused the Interpol system to abuse me, and repeatedly tried to silence me through threats and intimidation,” said Kanter Freedom, who noted that while his case is known, there are millions whose cases have not been heard.

He continued: “Turkish prisons are dangerously overcrowded, there is torture, and denial of medical care is widespread. These are part of the deliberate campaign to dismantle civil society.”

“President Erdogan has consolidated total control, sidelined the judicial system, muzzled the media, and is working to change the constitution to remain in power indefinitely,” said Kanter Freedom. “He undermines democratic values and regional security, and we cannot allow Erdogan to hijack the entire country.”

In his concluding remarks, Kanter Freedom respectfully urged the U.S. Congress and the Commission to publicly condemn political detentions; condition U.S. support and arms sales by measurable improvements in human rights and rule of law; support independent civil society voices; and demand compliance from Turkey.

He recommended that the U.S. engage with the PKK to “ensure its integration into the political process” and highlighted that the situation of the Greeks in Turkey is “dire” as they face “slow motion eradication,” as there are now 2,000 Greeks in Turkey, despite the fact that there were about 2 million Greek Christians in Turkey during the foundation of modern Turkey.

Dr. Rubin emphasized the importance of Congress to “elevate the issue of religious freedom” otherwise it’s likely that Orthodox Christianity will disappear from Turkey, which he stated would be a “blow after the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s 1,700-year indigenous Armenian Christian community.”

He continued: “Armenians in Turkey live with the legacy of the Armenian Genocide. Acknowledging genocide is more than a historical question. Genocide denial perpetuates genocide.”

But in Turkey, denial has become embraced, according to Dr. Rubin, who said that “denial means that the ideology, intolerance, and hatred that catalyzed the Armenian genocide remains legitimate.”

Dr. Rubin added that Turkey should not receive the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and that the U.S. should “no longer take Turkey at its word.”

“The best indicator of true reform among the world’s rogues and revisionists is respect for the freedom of religious and ethnic minorities. It is time to elevate Turkey’s human rights abuses, not paper over them,” he concluded.

Alp Aslandogan said that the Erdogan regime, under the pretext of combatting terrorism, has “weaponized counterterrorism laws to silence peaceful critics,” noting that the evidence brought for terrorism charges in Turkey are “laughable” and include things like donating to a charity or working at a school.

“The consequences of this witch hunt have been devastating, as thousands were purged from their jobs and blacklisted, and hundreds of schools, NGOs, and media outlets have been shuttered,” he said.

The media repression has extended to “global erasure” of content at the pressure of the Turkish government, as Aslandogan urged Congress and the Commission to make improvements in human rights in Turkey a condition for any kind of assistance, to enable the Global Magnitsky Act against Turkish authorities known to perpetrate torture, and finally for the “U.S. to leverage its leadership in NATO to implement reforms and international laws.”

During the question and answer session, Kanter Freedom stated that while Turkey is a NATO ally, Erdogan is the “Trojan Horse for Putin in NATO because Erdogan does not act like a NATO ally when he works with dictatorships, and we have to take concrete actions because condemnation does not work.”

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), who serves as Armenian Caucus Co-Chair, commended Kanter Freedom’s bravery for speaking out, as well as Rep. Smith for his leadership, and posed a question about the desecration of Christian heritage sites in Turkey.

“The Assembly applauds the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission led by Congressmen Chris Smith and Jim McGovern for holding this important hearing,” said Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.  “The panelists’ insightful remarks and recommendations crystallized Turkey’s ongoing human rights and underscored the need for action.”