Voices from Exile: Stories of persecuted Turkish citizens abroad
Freedom, once taken for granted, has become a distant memory for thousands of Turkish citizens forced into exile. In the wake of political purges, mass detentions, and relentless government persecution, many Turkish professionals, journalists, academics, and civil servants now live scattered across the globe, cut off from their homeland, branded as enemies, and separated from their families.
Their stories are powerful testaments to resilience, injustice, and the urgent need for international awareness. This is the human face of Advocates of Silenced Turkey(AST), where voices are stifled at home but continue to echo abroad.
In this post, we share the lived experiences of Turkish exiles, stories collected, preserved, and amplified by AST, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to exposing human rights violations and supporting victims of oppression.
A nation in exile
Since the failed coup attempt in July 2016, Turkey has undergone an alarming democratic backslide. The government has weaponized the judiciary, education system, and media to silence dissent. Over 300,000 public sector workers have been dismissed, and more than 5000,000 people have been imprisoned on political grounds.
Tens of thousands have fled the country to avoid arrest, torture, or social blacklisting. These exiles are not criminals, they are professors, doctors, journalists, engineers, students, and parents. Their only “crime” was being critical, being independent, or being different.
Stories from the Diaspora
1. The Journalist Who Refused to Be Silenced
Ayşe*, a former investigative journalist in Istanbul, fled to Germany in 2017 after her colleagues were arrested and her newsroom shut down. Her reporting on government corruption had put her on a list. One day, plainclothes police appeared at her door. She escaped just in time.
Today, she works for a Turkish-language news podcast in exile. “I am free to speak,” she says. “But my voice does not echo the same way it used to. My mother is still in Istanbul. Every phone call is short and censored. I miss her voice more than I fear the regime.”
(*Name changed for security reasons.)
2. The Academic Without a Classroom
Mehmet, a tenured university professor, was among thousands dismissed by emergency decrees (known as KHKs) after the coup attempt. Accused of having ties to a “terrorist” group for signing a peace petition, he lost his job, passport, and reputation overnight.
After months of blacklisting and surveillance, he fled to Canada in 2018. “I used to teach human rights,” he says. “Now I love them, painfully.”
Advocates of Silenced Turkey helped him secure a legal visa and connected him to a support network of other exiled academics.
3. A Child’s Story of Escape
In 2019, a young couple with two children crossed the Evros River into Greece in freezing temperatures. The father, a former teacher, had been jailed without trial. After release, he and his wife made the difficult decision to flee—carrying their two-year-old in one arm and hope in the other.
Their journey was dangerous, but it was the only path to freedom. Today, they live in the Netherlands. “We lost our country,” the mother says. “But we didn’t lose our dignity.”
The role of AST
These stories are not isolated—they are part of a larger pattern of persecution that Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST) works tirelessly to document and share.
Founded in the U.S. by concerned Turkish-Americans, AST:
- Collects first-person testimonies from exiles and political prisoners
- Provides legal and psychological support to families separated by persecution
- Hosts events and forums to educate global audiences
- Partners with human rights organizations to advocate for democratic reform in Turkey
The work of AST ensures that those who have been exiled are not forgotten. Their stories matter. Their pain has purpose. Their voices will not disappear into silence.
Exile is not freedom
While many Turkish exiles now live in democratic countries, exile comes with its own burdens:
- Separation from family
- Trauma and psychological distress
- Financial instability
- Difficulty in resettling and restarting careers
- Ongoing fear of transnational repression
Even abroad, many live in fear of being targeted, surveilled, or defamed by pro-government media and diaspora networks aligned with the Turkish regime.
This is why global support and solidarity are essential.
How you can help
If you’re moved by these stories, here’s how you can support Turkish citizens in exile and the mission of Silenced Turkey:
- Donate to Advocates of Silenced Turkey
Your support helps provide legal assistance and mental health services to families in crisis. - Share their stories
Amplify the voices of the exiled. Share AST’s content on social media using #SilencedTurkey. - Host educational events
Bring these stories to your school, faith community, or local organization. - Support policy change
Contact elected officials to encourage sanctions against human rights violators and support asylum cases. - Volunteer your time or skills
Translators, legal professionals, therapists, and educators are always in demand.
A Nation’s conscience in exile
The Turkish government may silence dissent at home, but it cannot silence the truth. Around the world, exiled Turkish citizens are using their voices to speak out for justice, for memory, and for the freedom they still believe in.
Their stories are our stories of resilience, of courage, and of the unbreakable will to be heard.
Through the work of Advocates of Silenced Turkey, these voices continue to rise above the noise of repression. They remind us that truth knows no borders, and that exile is not the end of the story it is a beginning.
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