Sep 13, 202017
The UAEVOICE offers an exclusive interview with ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, he addressed many issues of concern to the UAE and Turkey in terms of preserving human rights and defending humanity, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the work environment and the economy in Turkey, and empowering women in the UAE and Turkey.
Brief About ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu is a medical doctor (pulmonologist), human rights activist, and an MP (Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly – TBMM) for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). He has dedicated his political career to fighting against human rights violations in Turkey.
What are ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu most important achievements in the field of human rights defenders?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: He has been defending human rights for years and fighting against non-discrimination. he accepts all the requests of the oppressed and the victims, regardless of their race, religion or sect, and tries to do what is necessary for them.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu expressed that there are two big problems in Turkey, are religious and ethnic problems, and there is pressure from the state on the religious makeup of the people and the sect, social pressure also comes after these two.
For example, in Turkey, the headscarf was banned for women who wear the veil in places of work and education, in the oppressive rule of the state for many years, in this regard the weekly events were held for years for the freedom of the veil.
It was a huge success to be able to run these events for 5 years. They have always established a regular and principled course of action, this happened between 2005-2010.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu added that they did not accept what the government sometimes imposed in one form or another, and made press statements about the freedom of the veil in Kocaeli and many other provinces without interruption for a week.
Then they prepared a report on the regions with ethnic-religious discrimination in Turkey and proud of this work. It is an important success that they have created a platform for peace with our friends from different religions and political sects.
They were friends with different groups of people of all religious sects, Sunni Alawites and Kurds. This was a very important civil society activity, and after the state’s decision, which they call the legislative decree, they rushed to help people who were in a difficult situation due to the dismissal of public sector workers or the closure of institutions in the private sector, without discrimination from everyone and tried to convey the people’s voices.
What does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu think of the remote work experience? Did he like the experience and its application in Turkey?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: Turkey has entered the period of remote work with coronavirus, this is not just a seasonal situation. He thinks it is about a new lifestyle and a new century lifestyle that will be effective in the coming years or centuries. Ultimately this way of working is no better than the normal way of working. There can be no good work environment like people work face to face, but this one has forced us to use this form of work.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu added that: It has advantages, as people can continue their vital activities without leaving their homes and without worrying about roads, time, and financial costs, but this also makes them disjointed as well as causes them to gain weight and distance themselves from people.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu stressed that all of this, of course, as an evaluation of the remote work and study life in Turkey, which has caused some stagnation in the form of life and stagnation in society, and perhaps this will be the way of life in the new century, but also this will lead to the deterioration of social life and this is not very good. But now it seems that the world is moving towards a new (dimension) place and we have to accept this idea.
How does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu see the world after controlling Corona?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: The third wave of corona cannot be controlled at this time. However, Corona is escalating after its decline in many countries, and it seems that it will continue to rise next October. People now realize how valuable life activities, which they previously viewed as very ordinary things.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu added that: They now realize how important life without a mask was and how they used to live life to the fullest. Since people must now follow the rules of social distancing, and they must also use masks, and many vital activities were restricted, in the Corona period, it is clear that the forces considered this a kind of opportunism. It is also used as a tool to silence opponents who object, and the powers that are used by states. Demonstrations are prohibited, and other activities are prohibited, and this is an important question mark.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu stressed that the world is going to a different place, but on the one hand, individual or social studies are much easier. People can hold meetings through programs like the Zoom program, but on the other hand, their human reactions do not appear effectively in cases or through gathering and making demonstrations and protests.
4_ What does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu think about the human rights situation during the Erdogan era?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: Human rights have deteriorated a lot in Turkey under Erdogan leadership. Erdogan may have made a good start by trying to implement coordination laws with the European Union during the 18 years of his rule. The left-democrats, liberals, and society in Turkey gave Erdogan a chance and wait for him to implement these democratic steps.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu added that: After Erdogan consolidated his power, he first turned his friends away, then he began to advance more and more towards one-man power, alienating all his opponents. Of course, he was not alone in doing so; he had certain state policies beside him.
Gergerlioğlu stressed that Erdogan is trying to strengthen the ideology that the state has been trying to dictate for years, with a Turkish nationalist alliance accompanying him in achieving these policies in the country. Of course, human rights are violated extensively because Turkish Kurds, anyone on the right or left are excluded, and anyone who appears to be dissent is crushed. This increases human rights violations
5_ How does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu see in the role of women’s rights?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: In Turkey, with, unfortunately, like many third world countries and Muslim countries, women come in second place or maybe third place. Women are not seen as equal citizens of men, this is a social condition. There is a great struggle for women to obtain their rights
6_ How does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu view empowering women in the UAE?
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: He doesn’t know much about the status of women in the United Arab Emirates. But in general, I see women in Arab countries have more negatives than Turkey. But there is a conflict, for example, some Arab countries, to my knowledge, there is still a restriction in some women’s rights until now.
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu stressed that in the United Arab Emirates, he think there is this kind of development in women empowerment, and he wishes success to Emirati women. Women must demand their rights. He believes that Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have recently made an achievement in the field of women’s work, as he mentioned.
7_ ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu opinion of the UAE’s initiatives and the aid it provides to strengthen the health care sector in various countries of the world
ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said: We should really appreciate this effort, and I hope that this aid will continue to increase and that countries with an advanced health sector contribute to solving health problems, especially in countries with very poor conditions.
8_ How does ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu expressed his opinion about the economic situation improvement after Corona?
ömer Faruk said: After Corona, the economic situation in the world is going through a great shock, Corona is really an incredible thing, and we never expected it to happen. In some sectors that coronavirus caused the great depression and some sectors that have improved their conditions and some have become more active. It appears that the pattern of the economy will change as lifestyle changes.
ömer added that After Corona, countries will incur large expenditures and increase their expenditures a lot, but I think that countries should develop new ideas in order to fit the new era and improve their economic situation. If they do not, they will be among the countries that will be late in the new century, this is a fact. The world is undergoing great social change.
Gergerlioğlu continued, Let’s say that all the countries that understand this are the ones that will succeed in the new century. We no longer have to deal with 20th-century data and we have to deal according to the requirements of the 21st century. We have to create a lifestyle in keeping with the emergence of these diseases. Economists and those who work in the field of economics and trade have to adapt to the conditions of this Corona period, which seems to last for its duration until they achieve economic success.
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