Osman Kavala: Imprisoned in Erdogan's Turkey | DW Documentary

The Turkish human rights activist and arts patron Osman Kavala has been in prison since 2017. The philanthropist, who campaigns for democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, is regarded as a public enemy by the Erdogan government.

Osman Kavala is the founder and chairman of the arts and culture foundation Anadolu Kültür and has initiated numerous projects to promote dialogue between different cultures and communities and strengthen Turkish civil society. He also champions the rights of minorities in Turkey, first and foremost the Kurdish and Armenian ones.

The businessman was originally arrested on charges of masterminding the 2013 Gezi Park mass protests against the government of President Erdogan. He was acquitted of that charge in February 2020. He was released from detention at the Silivri high security prison but re-arrested just a few hours later - and this time accused of involvement in an attempted coup. In 2022, Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment.

"When I heard the verdict, what I felt was deep sorrow for the state of the judiciary and the judges in my country. There are many prisoners who are detained or sentenced by means of arbitrary decisions, and quite a number of them have been behind bars longer than myself,” Kavala writes from prison.

His detention drew international condemnation and is seen as part of widespread measures to curtail freedom of expression and human rights in Turkey. The European Court of Human Rights ordered the human rights activist’s release in 2019 and described the detention as politically motivated.

Linda Vierecke’s film draws a portrait of Osman Kavala using his own words and hearing from people who were influenced by him or who are close to him. Kavala’s wife Ayşe Buğra tells the couple’s troubled story and Asena Günal, Executive Director of Anadolu Kültür, relates just how much Turkish civil society is missing his voice and his commitment - especially now, in the wake of the earthquake catastrophe.

"In prison, one often has thoughts about death,” 65-year-old Osman Kavala writes to the director. "However, I have never worried about the prospect of spending the rest of my life behind bars; rather, I simply cannot foresee when I will be released... I do hope to see at least some of those responsible for these injustices brought before the court. This is not for the sake of fulfilling my feeling of revenge, but to prevent this sort of manipulation of judiciary happening again in the future.”

#documentary #dwdocumentary #turkey #osmankavala
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[ambition]

0:10: 🔒 Osman Cavalla, a businessman and cultural supporter, was taken into custody in Istanbul and his wife expresses concern for his well-being and the injustice he is facing.
8:00: 📚 The video highlights the work and activism of Osman Kavala, who is on trial for his involvement in protests in Turkey.
17:46: 📚 The speaker and Aisha share a passion for reading and discuss books in their correspondence.
25:37: 😔 A culture of peace was developed for children in Southeastern Turkey to help them feel at ease with their own identity and culture, but an authoritarian mentality with an anti-minority edge in the political domain has led to false accusations and a rise in injustice.
32:42: 😔 The speaker expresses deep sorrow for the state of the judiciary and judges in their country and highlights the manipulation and abuse in the Turkish penal system.
39:22: 😢 Protesters express their support for a man who has been imprisoned for five years and hope for his release and reunion with his family.
Recap by Tammy AI

[ballkans]

Let us all take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding work DW does, in this, and every documentary they made 👋

[hassanmohamed]

No wonder why Germany is so interested in Türkiye, if they really care about Türkiye citizen rights they should start at in German.

[martunuskas]

Is there any voice from Guatanamo's prison?

[spartahill]

Storytelling is humans' fundamental tool to make sense of inhabited spaces and chronicle their lived experiences. Having viewed this informative, inclusive, and well-captured documentary, I better understand Mr. Kavala's situation and feel connected through the sounds and visuals for which the narrative is situated and brought to life.
Thanks DW

[ksidnfurnekaoajdbdjfkn]

Osman Kavala's unwavering dedication to human rights and civil society is truly commendable.We must strive to safeguard freedom of expression and human rights everywhere, and hope for a just resolution to Kavala's case and a brighter future for Turkey.

[johnnychannel]

Forget the differences or disagreement, help the earthquake victims in Turkey who need helps right now.

[anandmohan]

We earnestly hope that Kavala verdict be revisited by some appellate court and he will be released soon.

[indigenousnorwegianeuropa]

[T]he essential reality in a sultanistic regime is that all individuals, groups and institutions are permanently subject to the unpredictable and despotic intervention of the sultan, and thus all pluralism is precarious🫵

[mohammedsaysrashid]

Another bravery, truthful talk in this documentary, introduced by an excellence (DW)....about an oppositional figure in turkey 🇹🇷. Good luck and best wishes for the (DW) documentary channel

[TheStockwell]

Dear trolls, how about specifying how this documentary is not factual reporting? I mean, it's predictable and adorable how you call every DW Documentary propaganda. It would be nice to hear specifics for a change.

DW Documentary is very thorough and specific. Either try the same approach - or go away. You'll be happier. Consider your blood pressure! 😳

[cabdisamedcabdilaahi]

Where's the documentary of Julia assenge dw? What a propaganda and double standard dear dw

[sametsamet-srnj]

Thank you for this great documentary ❤Dw

[aronjanson]

For some reason, DW ignores when Israel is killing children. Osman Kavala must be working for them. Kavala, also known as small saroz.

[User-kztw]

DW never make any documentary about palistain's suffering . because it's similar to Germany.

[faruqehossain]

Please create a documentary about the sufferings of Palestine people and Kashmiri people; people of turkey understood about your desire

[mfhex]

Happy to see some people fighting the keko-ignorance. More power to you!

[murrayeldred]

Let us hope there are no violent acts during the election. More importantly when change comes as it will come.

[frantisekpolach]

I wish justice will return to Turkey soon!

[stouellette]

it's not Erdogan's Turkey, it is sovereign republic of Turkiye which belongs to it's citizens and runs with rules of law... There are countries where people are really oppressed and Turkiye is not one of them.. no need to fish for trouble there.. Better to spend time for places like Palestine to do actual humanitarian good.