Angry at the media, critical of decision-makers, even more critical of injustice...
A woman in all black stands in front of me.
She points to the book she's holding: "I will take this book to Tayfun. I will do this alo for Vera."
The title of the book is "Most People Are Good."
The woman's name is Meriç Demir Kahraman. An urban planner, a mother, wife of a Gezi Park protester who is now in prison.
More precisely, she is a justice seeker trying to make her voice heard.
Her husband, also an urban planner, Tayfun Kahraman was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the Gezi Park case. He has been in prison for 602 days as of December 18th.
This is the reason of her anger at the decision makers:
"There are only 2 pages about Tayfun in the 78-page decision of the Court of Cassation 3rd Criminal Chamber dated September 28, 2023. There is not a single piece of evidence proving his criminal act. What is the criminal act of Tayfun?" she asks.
She kindly requests everyone: "Please, everyone, ask the Ministry of Justice about this."
Her reaction to the media is also related to this:
"There is not a single news in the mainstream media about the Gezi Park case and what we have been through. We cannot make our voices heard to the large part of society; it's like speaking from behind a glass."
The strong voice of Meriç Demir Kahraman, who says, "There is not a single piece of evidence that Tayfun Kahraman is guilty; on the contrary, his innocence is proven," should not remain behind a glass, thickening as polarization increases.
We have spoken with Meriç Demir Kahraman about the sentences given in the Gezi Park case on April 25, 2022, and the subsequent process.
“We provide more details about her father's imprisonment as she grows up"
How do you explain to Vera that her father is in prison?
When they took Tayfun from us, Vera was two and a half years old, almost a baby. Now she is four and a half years old.
We don't tell her something like "Dad went on vacation." We started explaining the situation by saying, "There was a problem related to his job. That's why he is behind that glass."
Over time, as Vera grew and asked different questions, we had to provide more details. We have to convey that, despite Tayfun's deep love for her, he couldn't come due to the challenges related to his work to preserve the father-daughter relationship. When Vera rightfully says, "Everyone has a job, and everyone has problems with their job, I don't understand, Mom," we have to explain more and make our experiences more tangible.
For example, Vera knows what Urban Planning is. Sometimes she says, "I'm going to be an Urban Planner."
Vera: "My father is right to say that Gezi Park should stay as a park”
What do you say to Vera when she says that?
I say, "Two Urban Planners in a household is enough." I tell her, "You can be something else, maybe a tailor, but whatever you choose to do, always respect your work and strive to be the best at it."It can be anything, as long as it's a job that makes her happy.
So you've told Vera about Gezi Park...
Of course, I've told her. We often go to Gezi Park, and I explain it to her there too. I say, "This is a park, but they wanted to build a building here, and your dad said, 'this should remain as a park.'" She says, "Dad was right." She asks, "If this isn't a park, where will the children play, Mom?" She sees the children and trees in Gezi Park and doesn't want any harm to come to them.
During the period we worked on defenses, she would hear and know what Urban Planners did. Then, when Tayfun and our other friends were arrested and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) started the Justice Watch, she got so used to going there that she started asking, "Are we going to the Chamber of Architects?"
Of course, we want Vera to learn everything at the right age.
"Now, she asks, "Why are they keeping my dad there? This is a great injustice."
So, I try to explain to her that her dad said, "Let Gezi Park stay as a park," and his words are valuable because he is an excellent Urban Planner and the President of the Chamber of Urban Planners.
“Tayfun and us are paying a price for 10 years now”
How are you?
I am angry, I am sad. Honestly, if you experience injustice, how would you feel? I feel the same way. This is a fact; we are real, what we have been through is real.
The process that began with Tayfun being temporarily sent to Gaziantep in 2013 has turned into an oppression where we pay even greater prices as the years pass.
Since November 2018, we have been going through something else, a great injustice. Before that, Tayfun underwent investigations related to Gezi, but even those didn't turn into a trial. Two investigations in 2013 and 2014 resulted in the prosecutor's decision of "no grounds for prosecution." On November 28, 2018, Tayfun was called to testify for today's case.
He gave a statement for a full 10 hours, and I waited for him alone in the cold, not realizing that Vera was waiting together with me. We learned about my pregnancy six days after that.
The attitude of the media
Do you feel that your feelings, your state of being "faced with injustice," are understood enough?
On the contrary, I feel that it's not understood at all. It's not just about not being understood; they don't let your voice be heard. I tell about the injustice we're experiencing, the unlawfulness of the entire process all the tiem, but, for example, there is not a single news report in newspapers like Milliyet, Hürriyet, Sabah, and many others.
Similarly, when I look at TRT, Kanal D, Show TV, and many other TV channels, there's nothing, not a single second mentioning what's happening. This situation is not unique to us, I know, but think about it: you are experiencing a reality, and you are asking questions to the authorities as a citizen. But it's like speaking to a wall. No sound, no response. You are being ignored.
I ask the Minister of Justice a question: "What is the criminal act of Tayfun Kahraman, where is the evidence?" They treat it as if I don't exist, as if we don't exist, as if this reality doesn't exist, as if these questions were never asked; it's an attitude that says, "You may be experiencing a reality, but you don't exist." No, I exist, we are here, and I want answers because the court decisions stating "On Behalf of the Turkish Nation" do not mention the crime for which Tayfun was sentenced to 18 years in prison, and there is no evidence.
You are speaking to a large part of the country from behind a glass, and you cannot make your voice heard. A reality is happening here. How can this be ignored?
"Hello, I am real," I want to say. I recently made a video. I am actually saying the same thing, but I am in search of how I can say the same thing in different ways. In that sense I thought this video would be more effective than something written.
There are statements in the video from the then-Prime Minister, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as Tayfun during that period...
But no, the media I mentioned still doesn't see it. There is no news value, no value for the tabloid press. It's incredible. A topic that affects a large part of society is never seen by another large part of society. I think this act of ignoring others is a very unhealthy situation.
Therefore, this is a struggle; a struggle not to let it be brushed under the rug, a struggle to show the injustice here, a struggle to show that we are real.
“There are people who say 'Is there anything left from Gezi'”
No matter what you do, your voice cannot reach a segment of society...
I liken this to a situation: You board a plane on a very rainy day. Down below, a storm is raging, thunder and lightning abound. But you ascend in the plane, higher and higher, and finally, when you reach above the clouds, everything is sunny. The entire storm is beneath the clouds. Up there, the weather is fantastic, sunny every day, but down below, a storm is raging. The situation is somewhat like this for a certain segment of society.
There are people, for example, who say, "Is there anything left from Gezi?" By the way, at the bottom where I mentioned the storm is raging, most people are preoccupied with their lives, struggling with survival, dealing with the necessities of life.
When you look at the evening news, someone has killed another, someone else has beaten someone, people are tired of watching, a constant flow of horror. Then a series starts, and it's all fights and turmoil, chaos. People go to bed with their brains melted, bombarded with violence. I don't know the societal consequences of this; I am sure there should be some who study this.
I'm telling this for a reason: on the most-watched channels, there is nothing about the human rights violations in the Gezi Park case. A significant portion of the society is preoccupied with supporting themselves and their families economically.
They watch these channels, and they are not aware of what happened in Gezi. They are not aware of many other issues either. We, I, try all the time to convey the injustice done to us from behind a glass. Is there anyone who hears my voice?
“Tayfun’s relation with violence could probably be fishing”
After the court sentenced your husband to 18 years, the higher court also confirmed the verdict. How do you interpret the process of law unfolding?
Regarding Tayfun specifically, I can say this: he has already proven his innocence. He explained it with defenses, with documents. He talked about how he had no connection with coercion and violence, proved it.
The court says, "no." Then the court will have to prove that Tayfun tried to overthrow the government with coercion and violence. But they don't even feel the need for such proof. It's already non-existent; it doesn't exist on Earth, so there is no act called a crime in the files, and there is no evidence for it.
Finally, I look at the approval decision of the Court of Cassation 3rd Chamber. The decision is 78 pages long. There is no evidence that sentenced Tayfun to 18 years in prison, you cannot find it. If you declare this person guilty as the judiciary, you must concretely prove it.
In the 78-page decision, there are only 2 pages about Tayfun. You cannot sentence a person to 18 years in prison without providing any reasoning, and on just 2 pages. We should not experience this, and the Republic of Turkey, which has entered its 100th year, should not experience it either, and the 155-year-old high judiciary institution should not do it either.
“Tayfun would have committed a crime if he had not been not in Gezi”
What do you mean?
Yes, two pages. And it goes like this. Two police officers said, "We saw Tayfun Kahraman at Gezi." It is enough for him to have been seen there. Of course, this person will be there as the president of a professional organization. It's one of his job descriptions. He would have committed a real crime if he had not been there. Moreover, the police who gave this statement were later expelled from the profession.
Sometimes, I think about Tayfun, I think about his relationship with violence. If he has any relationship with violence, it's probably fishing.
Tayfun is such a person that if you want to sit down and argue with him, you can't. He is so calm. He establishes calm relationships with colleagues, students, us, everyone; he has no relationship with violence.
In the court decisions, it says "On Behalf of the Turkish Nation"; then they should explain to me and my daughter Vera consistently. They should say that you will only see Tayfun from behind the glass for so long, that he did this, and provide the evidence, explain it. I will then explain this to Vera. This is a human life. We are real.
If there is a crime, the judiciary must prove it, but they don't care to do that. The dangerous thing is this, today for us, tomorrow for someone else. They shake people's lives so deeply without even the slightest need to explain or prove it. They feel so comfortable with themselves. And they have this audacity, this lack of seriousness, not even carrying a sense that what they are doing has consequences in a person's life.
Some circles believe that the resolution of the case is also "political"...
This case is being politically exploited.
On November 20, Hakan Fidan [Foreign Minister] said, "ECtHR decisions are turning into politics for us, and we take a political stance in these cases."
I ask: Why should Tayfun Kahraman apply to the ECtHR? Why can't we find answers to our questions in our own country? I mean, you want to ask logical questions and get logical answers, but logic is no longer present.
Let's ask: "Can 5 people bring millions of people to the streets?" If they have so much power, why are these people inside?
A documentary filmmaker, a director, an urban planner, an architect, a lawyer, a businessperson, a social scientist, said, "Let's come together and overthrow the government with coercion and violence." Who would believe that? Moreover, these people did not even come together while they were outside. So, this is an interpretion; they have to prove it.
How is Tayfun Kahraman spending his days in prison, and what is he doing?
Tayfun turned out to be more resilient than I estimated and knew. I already knew him as a colleague. I am a firsthand witness to Gezi, and I am a witness to how Tayfun was under such a heavy burden at that time.
Actually, the reason I fell in love with Tayfun is his ability to manage this story. I can vividly picture it in my mind. I can describe all those moments frame by frame. I knew his resilience, but I didn't know this much, really.
For example, when the season comes, I can smell the scent of jasmine. He cannot smell it. If a bird comes into the courtyard, he can only see it. Imagine, there is no sound, no color. When you go out into the street, now, for example, I tried to think about the situation of friends who have been released.
It's something like colors, sounds, and smells blending into each other. You are in a very confined space, both physically and with all these corresponding things in your body.
For example, they told us initially that the eyes get damaged. The eye needs to focus on different places. Where can it focus on there? There's nothing in the sky. If you're lucky, a bird flies by or a plane passes, at least you can focus on them. So, there are probably psychological, neurological, and physical consequences for Tayfun and our other friends that we may not yet know.
But I think the most important thing is, of course, breaking the unity of our family. It's very difficult for Tayfun's mother, father, me, Vera—for all of us.
When you put it in numbers, the picture becomes clearer. Tayfun has seen his child for only 96 hours in the last 20 months. Moreover, 59 of them were through a glass, talking on the phone, we had only 27 open visits. So, it corresponds to 4 days in 20 months, like torture.
How can you do this to a child? How can you do this to a father? People should be responsibility for this. That's why I always say this is the reality; we are real. We are living this reality.
Did you expect this "reality"?
Osman Kavala was in custody, Yiğit Aksakoğlu was in custody. You prepare yourself, you see a meteorite coming towards you. We attended the hearings, we stood there. We didn't say, "Let me get on a rocket and go to Mars."
You are here, you see that meteorite is coming towards you and it actually falls. In fact personally I didn't expect it, because this person is a City Planner who has performed his constitutional duty, has no connection to violence, on the contrary, he participated in the negotiations with the government during the Gezi period and was among the names designated by the government for talks – Tayfun Kahraman.
He is the President of the İstanbul Branch of the Chamber of City Planners affiliated with TMMOB, and his constitutional duty is this; as the İstanbul Branch President, he must present his legal opinion on all scales of plans related to İstanbul.
Moreover, Tayfun has been a civil servant since 2009. The state has been conducting a security investigation on Tayfun Kahraman for 14 years, just like all civil servants; these security investigations pass through the Ministry of Interior and the Police. Does this man have the slightest connection to a terrorist organization, if he did, could he have been a civil servant for 14 years?
On April 25, 2022, when the 30th High Criminal Court gave an 18-year sentence, we thought the Court of Cassation would overturn it. We had the seriousness of a 155-year-old high court in our minds. No, it didn't happen. The sentence was upheld on September 28, 2023, without providing a single justification, in 2 pages.
In February 2020, the 13th High Criminal Court, looking at the same file, said, "There is no concrete evidence about overthrowing the government with violence," and therefore unanimously acquitted. This file is the same file, the same case. Not a single piece of evidence was added. The İstanbul 3rd Regional Court of Justice, which overturned the acquittal decision, upheld the conviction in 5 lines without saying anything, stating, "Everything is appropriate," and the process came to the Court of Cassation. Is this justice? This is the reality we are in.
Also, there are the meetings you mentioned in the video on June 5, 2013, and June 13, 2013.
The first one was a meeting with Bülent Arınç in Ankara, and the second one with the then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Tayfun was present at both meetings. Isn't this mediation?
Let's think on behalf of the rulers. "If you thought I would harm you, would you invite me to your home?" "In fact, forget about inviting me, would you send a taxi to bring me to your home so we can talk?" So, this story goes against human logic, against the ordinary flow of life.
But they give a verdict, ignoring all of this. They don't even feel the need to explain these.
“He protects his mental health by reading and writing”
How is Mr. Tayfun enduring all this?
Tayfun reads and works so much there... He reads about every subject, constantly writes, continues to produce, and preserves his mental health in this way. How else could he preserve it? At least, he has to continue producing in some way, activating his mind.
He can't do many things anyway. Because in a way, you are being de-individualized there. Tayfun is resisting against this.
There are also less visible aspects of this oppression, of course. For example, great injustice has been done to Tayfun's students. Tayfun's classes, the theses he supervised, had to be continued by other colleagues, academics.
The earthquake reality of İstanbul
Tayfun's role atİIstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) was related to preparing İstanbul for earthquakes; he served as the Head of the Department of Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Improvement at İBB. Tayfun proposed the Rapid Screening System to İBB, encouraging everyone to have their homes inspected after the February 6th Maras Earthquakes.
Therefore, it's not just Tayfun and our family; the entire city of Istanbul is being punished. Keeping someone like him in prison means punishing the people. He is a knowledgeable individual who has taken crucial steps against earthquakes and, as an expert in urban law, he is currently in prison. Tayfun has selflessly dedicated himself to acquiring knowledge in this field, always prioritizing the welfare of society over personal gain. If not, he could have opened a private office, focused on his own profits and worldly possessions, but he chose not to. Tayfun has consistently used his expertise and knowledge for the benefit of the community.
Which topics come up on your visitation days?
On the days of visitation, we discuss topics that we would talk about if Tayfun were outside. We talk about Vera's development, her school, and her friends. We discuss her upcoming enrollment in preschool, how to proceed, and how to make decisions together. It is crucial for us to jointly raise our child.
Every week, I bring books and photos for Tayfun, and we discuss them during our visits. We talk about Vera's photographs. Of course, due to the quota, I send news via our lawyers, stating that I will bring 2 books and 10 photos; please let Tayfun know.
One of the most heartbreaking things for me is thinking about which photos Tayfun had to give up to be able to see new pictures of Vera. I contemplate this while looking at the ones he returned to me.
Can you describe a visitation day?
We wake up around 5 am for the visit that starts at 9 am. We live in Beşiktaş, and we have to catch the bus that moves within the Silivri Prison campus at 8 am.
Before getting on that bus, we are searched and pass through an x-ray. Afterward, when getting off the bus, we go through another search. Vera is also searched thoroughly. The correctional officers always search for "is there any candy?" while inspecting the child.
Our whole body is searched twice. They also search your entire body in a cabin. Additionally, they scan our retinas. You pass through a human-sized barrier.
Then, the one-hour visitation begins.
How are Vera's reactions to all these?
Vera's reaction varies. At first, it was very challenging for her. She struggled as unfamiliar people searched her. I vividly remember one time she clung to one of the turnstiles she had to pass through, crying so hard. She couldn't express her feelings properly at that age; she was around 2.5 years old and not speaking clearly.
Later on, it became routine for her. She now takes off her shoes and places them in the designated area. She feels sad, for example, because the metal hair pins make noise, and she can't go to her father with the hair pins on. Recently, we got her ears pierced, and she wears earrings, but she has to take them off during visits. Moreover, even though the child is with you, you are not allowed to bring anything with you.
Children can be thursty or hungry during that time, but you can't bring a sip of water or a piece of bread with you. Vera asks the correctional officers, "Brother, sister, I'm very thirsty, can you give me some water?" They provide water, of course, but imagine going through something where you can't bring a glass of water. We are experiencing this. Vera has been experiencing this for 20 months.
Do you feel tired or hopeless? Are there moments when you think, "Enough, I'm tired of this"?
Marriage is a fundamental contract: "in good times and in bad times, in sickness and health." I gave this promise to Tayfun, and I gave it to Vera as well. For me, it's not something I can say I'm tired of. I don't have the luxury to say, "I'm tired." I will rest when justice is served, when Tayfun comes home.
I don't have the luxury to stop or take a break. Honestly, I haven't casually met a friend for coffee in 20 months. I have to work. I have to earn a living and take care of Vera. I have to deal with this case and fight until Tayfun comes out of there.
Saying "I'm tired" and stepping aside is not an option. Do I feel like I'm stuck sometimes? Yes. Then I gather strength and move forward again.
Do you receive therapy support?
Yes, I do. You have to maintain your mental health. We need support. Who am I? Vera's relationship with Tayfun, Tayfun's relationship with us—everything. I can't handle this alone without seeking support.
"Please, everyone reading this interview, join me in asking"
Is there a point that I haven't asked about, something that didn't occur to me but you think people should know? Could you share it?
What is the crime that led to Tayfun Kahraman's 18-year imprisonment? I want everyone to ask this question to the Minister of Justice because the 78-page decision from the Court of Cassation does not provide an answer.
Why do I have to wait for my spouse for 18 years? A two-and-a-half-year-old child has been waiting for him for 20 months, and they say he has to wait for another 16 years. Those who made this decision about Tayfun Kahraman need to explain it to him, to me, to Vera, to this country, to all of us.
The decisions claimed to be given on behalf of the Turkish Nation need to be explained to the Turkish Nation. Today to me, tomorrow to someone else.
If they say, "You attempted to overthrow the government by force and violence," they need to prove it. Do they think repeating something 40 times makes it true? Is that how the law works?
Will Tayfun Kahraman become a terrorist if they say, "You are a terrorist" 40 times? No, it doesn't work that way, and it shouldn't.
Everyone living in Turkey should know that there is no slightest causality related to the criminal act Tayfun Kahraman and other people are accused of. Please, everyone reading this interview, join me in asking: What is the concrete evidence and the criminal act that constitutes the crime causing Tayfun Kahraman to be separated from Vera, his family, students, and loved ones for 18 years? We are awaiting a response from the Ministry of Justice.
(EMK/PE)
