On Tuesday, April 16, the US Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee held a hearing on human rights violations in Turkey. During the hearing, Abdülhamit Bilici, the last Editor-in-Chief of the shut-down Zaman newspaper and IJA USA Advisory Board Member, and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom shared with the senators the grave rights violations in Turkey.
Senators James McGovern and Christopher Smith moderated the session, which focused on the Erdogan government’s destruction of press and judicial independence, its dehumanization of the Gülen Movement, and its systematic crimes against humanity against the movement. It was streamed on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission YouTube channel and provided a platform for witnesses to clarify human rights violations in Turkey, assess the US response to date, and make recommendations to Congress.
Stating that human rights cannot exist without a free press and the rule of law, Abdülhamit Bilici said that while Erdogan controls 95% of the media, NATO member Turkey ranks 165th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, the lowest ranking in the world, competing with Iran and China.
Activist Enes Kanter argued that the US Congress should take bolder steps, prioritize human rights in the fight against the regime, and be more vocal on this issue. Kanter argued that the Turkish government should advocate for the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights rulings, noting that according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, Turkey ranks 117th out of 142 countries in the Rule of Law Index, 133rd out of 142 countries in terms of fundamental rights, and 147th out of 163 countries in the World’s Safest Countries index.
Abdülhamit Bilici and Enes Kanter also spoke about the victims of the Erdoğan regime, such as Hidayet Karaca, who has been in solitary confinement since 2014; Şerife Sulukan, a physics teacher who struggles to survive in prison with 89% disability and paralysis; and Can Atalay, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for “attempting to overthrow the Erdoğan government” during the Gezi Park protests in 2013.
