Chris Stephenson: I Will Gladly Return to Turkey

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Bilgi University academic member Chris Stephenson who was detained and left the country after being taken to Kumkapı Repatriation Center, is getting prepared to return to Turkey after the announcement that he is not barred from entering the country.

Stephen answered our questions that we sent as he went to England. He said “a bad surprise” with regards to the situation he faced, and responded to allegations about him being a “British spy”.

He also stated that arrest of the three academics who are signees of the declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime” is injustice.

“It stonewalls peaceful policies”

Chris Stephenson is an academic member at İstanbul Bilgi University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences / Department of Mathematics. He is one of the signees of the declaration titled “We will not be a party to this crime” by Academics for Peace.

He has been in Turkey over 25 years. His wife is citizen of Turkey, they have a child. He has been working at Bilgi University for 17 years.

Stephenson was taken into custody at İstanbul Justice Palace in Çağlayan where he came to support the three academics, Assist. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan, Assist. Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Kaya, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Ersoy, who were detained because of Academics for Peace/İstanbul group’s declaration.

Stephenson was detained in front of the courthouse at around 9:15 a.m. on charge of having Newroz invitations with signature of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Provincial Presidency.

Despite prosecution’s decision of release, police hadn’t let Stephenson leave. Stephenson was taken to Kumkapı Repatriation Center by police.

He says “a bad surprise” to describe the situation he faced.

“It was nothing compared to the recent developments in Turkey. My innocent family, especially my daughter have suffered more than me. A legal party’s invitation is considered terror propaganda. This is not right and stonewalls peaceful policies”.

“We will gladly return but there are those can’t return”

While Stephenson expresses they will “gladly return” to Turkey, he reminds of those who had to abandon their homes.

“We will return to Turkey. We will gladly return. My mind is constantly occupied with hundreds of thousands of people who had to abandon their homes because of the conflict. They can’t return to their ruined houses. I feel their pain in my heart”.

“It was not leaflet but invitation, I am British but not spy”

Reports during the period from Stephen’s detainment to have him forcefully leave the country alleging he was tasked with “distributing HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) leaflets”, “British spy” appeared in media. Stephen’s response to these is as follows:

“There was no leaflet, but invitation. I hadn’t distributed them, they were all in my bag.

“I am from England but not a spy of government of England. I have stood against British ruling class’ dirty imperial games.

“In the first political act I could remember, my father had taken me from province of Brighton where we resided to London’s Trafalgar Square. It was in October of 1956. Our goal was to protest against invasion of Egypt by England, France, and Israel for the Suez Canal. Our then teacher Mrs. Bowen told us the situation as ‘That filthy man, Nasır is trying to steal of Canal’. When my father asked me ‘who dug the canal’, I have had learned the first political lesson in my life. Workers of Egypt had dug the canal. The canal was supposed to belong to them. I have always followed that path. No need to multiply the examples. Anyone wondering may look at my articles about Ireland on T24”.

If there is crime, then we all committed it

Stephenson said “a gross injustice” as to the arrest of the three academics.

“The arrested fellows must immediately be released. I see it as some kind of divide/rule attempt. There are 2,000 signees. If there is crime, then we all committed it. I think there is no crime”. (BK/TK)