Corruption & Hope: A Story from Turkey

How can corruption in countries lead citizens to leave and give up on their countries and their future?

When I was around 24 or 25 years old, I was working as a research and teaching assistant at Middle East Technical University in Turkey while pursuing my master's degree. During that time, a female research and teaching assistant at another Turkish university, just next to my university, was killed by a student. The reason? She had caught him cheating during an exam, reported it, and the student retaliated by shooting her in her office.

https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-turkiye-51238218

When I first heard this news, my immediate thought was, "This could have been me." There was no reason for her to die, and it could have just as easily been me. At that time, I had no plans to live abroad because the situation in Turkey wasn’t as bad as it is now. The economy was kind of stable, and academics could earn enough to live comfortably and attend conferences. My goal was to complete my PhD abroad and return to Turkey to become a professor at Middle East Technical University. However, this incident shook me deeply.

For months, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could have been killed simply for doing my job.

This is the reality in Turkey.

Today, the situation has worsened. It’s not about political parties or ideologies—it’s about human rights, justice, and freedom. This week, to prevent a political candidate from running in elections, the government canceled the undergraduate diplomas of 28 people, including a professor at Galatasaray University, one of Turkey’s top universities. Imagine being a professor one day and the next being told your undergraduate degree no longer exists, regardless of your accomplishments.

This lack of security and justice makes it impossible to feel safe in Turkey.

Who can guarantee that, let’s say, if I buy land today, someone won’t claim it as theirs with government backing tomorrow? No one can.

This uncertainty erodes hope in the country.

If you lose hope in your country, what do you do?

I have been living abroad for the last 9 years, but Turkey is where I belong. My loved ones are in Turkey, and I’m deeply disappointed by what’s happening.

This newsletter is my way of contributing to my country without polarizing.

I hope it helps at least one person understand that the issue isn’t about which side you support—it’s about protecting our rights, freedom, and future.

If we don’t stand up for justice and freedom now, there won’t be a country left to protect us in the future.

Sidika

*This newsletter was written with the support of a fantastic app, Voicepal.