Being the Child of a Political Prisoner: The Case of Turkey report has been published.

States and the definitions of “good” and “evil” constantly shift according to the changing political climate. It is the political power holders who determine what constitutes “good” and “evil” during these shifts. A citizen who goes to bed at night as an acceptable and innocent person may wake up in the morning to be labeled the most notorious ‘enemy of the state.’

We call the crimes resulting from these determinations political crimes, and we call those who are subjected to investigation, prosecution, and imprisonment processes political prisoners.

Undoubtedly, the greatest victims of the concept of political crime are children. They become the recipients of ‘collective accusation’ due to their familial ties in a conflict they are not a part of. They are forced to live their lives ‘stigmatized’ by ‘official prejudice.’ This process harms them psychologically, socially, economically, and in many other aspects.

As Crossborder Jurists, we have initiated a reporting effort on the condition of children of political prisoners. We chose Turkey as our sample. Despite being a member of the Council of Europe and a party to all international human rights agreements, Turkey has seen various groups continuously accused with arguments manufactured by the political sphere during the authoritarian shift ongoing since 2013. Today in Turkey, no one is sure whether or not they will be declared an ‘Enemy of the State’ the next day. Naturally, the children are the gravest victims of this situation.

The report you hold is also the first of its kind in this field.

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