Call for Hearing of Ayşe Çelik Facing Trial for Saying ‘Don’t Let Children Die’

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Freedom of Expression Network of Turkey has made a call for attendance for the hearing of teacher Ayşe Çelik, who is charged with “terror organization propaganda” over her words she said on Beyaz Show TV program.

“We shall not leave teacher Ayşe alone, who seek for peace and said ‘don’t let children die’. Let’s lend her a hand! Let’s attend the hearing! If we can’t, then let’s share this video with the hashtags #AyşeYalnızDeğil (#Ayşeisnotalone) and AyşeDoğruyuSöyledi (#AyşeSpoketheTruth) on the social media!”.

Third hearing of the trial will be held at Bakırköy Courthouse, 2nd Heavy Penal Court at 2 p.m. on March 1.

What had Ayşe Çelik said?

Are you aware of what is happening in Turkey's Southeast?

Unborn children, mothers, people get killed here.

...

The things happening here are reflected very differently in the media.

Don't remain silent... See, hear and lend us a hand now.

Shame. Don't let people die, don't let children die, may mothers not cry.

What had happened?

A viewer identifying herself as Ayşe Çelik, a teacher, joined the program via phone on January 8 and said, “Children are dying, don’t remain silent”.

The host of the program, Beyazıt Öztürk, had the audience applaud her by saying “We are trying our best to make it heard. Your words have been a lesson for us. We will continue to do more. Hopefully your peace wishes will come true as soon as possible”.

Following the incident, the Diyarbakır Chief Prosecution launched an investigation into Ayşe Çelik for “terror propaganda”, and the Bakırköy Chief Prosecution launched an investigation into Beyazıt Öztürk and Ayşe Çelik over “terror propaganda”.

Lawsuits against 30 people

The figures who have faced lawsuits for saying “We Are All Teacher Ayşe” are as follows:

İbrahim Akın, Mevlüt Ülgen, Oya Engin, Ferhat Tunç, Halim Bulutoğlu, Murat Çelikkan, Gürkan Develi, Kemal Özgül, Şanar Yurdatapan, Gençay Gürsoy, Ayşenur İyidoğan, Gülseren Onanç, Dilek Gökçin Coşkun, Nergis Ovacık, Pınar Önen, Orhan Yılmaz Silier, Osman Gürhan Ertür, Orhan Alkaya, Vecdi Sayar, Ayşe Gül Akış, Türkcan Baykal, Ayşe Erzan Silier, Neşegül Yaşın, Vedi Üner Eyüboğlu, İbrahim Sinemillioğlu, Bahri Bayram Belen, Ergin Cinmen, Nil Özsoy Dindar, Ahmet Dindar, Gülsen Denizhan.

The trial started on September 23, 2016. (EA/TK)