The Turkish war machine, which boasts the second largest NATO army, is constantly in need of new cannon fodder. All means are used for the forced recruitment of young men. Conscientious objectors in Turkey have been persecuted for decades and subjected to fines, imprisonment and further repression. Reha Eskidir is one of them. Eskidir announced on 1 September 2012 at a peace rally in Istanbul-Kadiköy that he would not join the military. For ten years, he has been persecuted as a conscientious objector, like many others.

The last time a refusal case was opened against him was in October 2021 and he was sentenced to five months and 18 days in prison. The sentence was upheld without reassessment even after appeal. Due to illness, his custodial sentence was postponed, and he is now due to start his sentence on 30 November.

EVERY IDENTITY CHECK MEANS A NEW TRIAL

Eskidir spoke to ANF about the verdict and the treatment of conscientious objectors in Turkey: "I have been a conscientious objector since 2012. After the coup attempt on 15 July (2016), my military service status was no longer visible during checks. But then it reappeared. In such a case, there is a document that one has to sign at the military service office. If you haven't signed it, it becomes visible during identity checks. But since we reject this on principle, we naturally don't go there and become conscientious objectors. And since we don't go there, this becomes a new procedure after every identity check."

Thus, multiple convictions take place after each identity check for the same "offence". According to Eskidir, his trial was unlawful: "In my trial I went to the Court of Appeal. Normally, this case should have gone to appeal under the simple court procedure, not to review. The Court of Appeal did not quash the judgment and referred it back to the District Court. It was supposed to give me a hearing date and retry me, but instead the judgment was made final. That is unlawful. Of course, we will appeal against it.”

MULTIPLE CONVICTIONS AS A MEANS OF REPRESSION

Eskidir noted, “I will also use my right of individual appeal to the Constitutional Court, because while normally a person can only be convicted once for an offence, we are convicted multiple times." Eskidir had two other trials for the same "offence" and they were combined. Recalling that six such trials were merged in the case of conscientious objector Inan Mayis Aru, he said: "They use all kinds of underhand methods to intimidate us."

NEW FINES EVERY YEAR

Because of the persecution, Eskidir has not been able to work or travel registered for ten years. "I have not been able to take a job with insurance for years, nor have I looked for one. If you get an insured job, after a month or two your employer receives a letter saying that he employs a conscientious objector. Of course, the employer then dismisses you. Because I know that, I work in construction.”

BANK ACCOUNTS BLOCKED, LEAVING THE CITY IMPOSSIBLE

“In addition, the bank accounts of some friends have been blocked. For every year we don't do military service, we have to pay a fine of 1,100 TL. I don't know exactly what happened with this inflation, but my debt was 30,000 Lira. I don't know how much it is now. And because we don't pay this administrative fine, we are put in prison or threatened. Moreover, our right to freedom of movement is also blocked because there are police checks at the entrance of every town and fines are imposed on conscientious objectors here. That is why many of those affected no longer leave the city where they live,” Eskidir added.