Dilruba K.'s mother speaks to 12punto: 'Dilruba will return with a bang'

Hikmet Eren ÇELENK 12punto.com.tr

Following the crisis between Instagram and the government, Turkey experienced an eight-day access ban on Instagram. Shortly after RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin stated that they were monitoring street interviews, Dilruba K., who gave an interview to the YouTube channel 'Tüysüz Mikrofon', was arrested and sent to prison after her comments regarding the access ban.

In the hearing held on August 20, Dilruba K. was acquitted of the charge of 'insulting the President', and Attorney Hüseyin Yıldız had informed 12punto that the ongoing trial for the charge of 'inciting the public to hatred and hostility' would be held on September 3. Dilruba K.'s mother, Aysel K., spoke to 12punto about the process and her daughter's situation.

'MY DAUGHTER HAS NEVER EVEN BEEN TO A POLICE STATION BEFORE'

Aysel K. began her remarks regarding the process and her daughter as follows:

"I want my daughter to regain her freedom; she is in a place she does not deserve. She is not doing very well psychologically these days. It is truly painful that my daughter, who has no guilt, is inside. You cannot find anything on my daughter's record; she has never even been to a police station once. Even though we work in tourism, she consumes neither alcohol nor cigarettes. Unfortunately, the guilty are outside and the innocent are inside. The issue that saddens me the most is the travel ban. What did my daughter do to deserve this?"

'DILRUBA WILL RETURN WITH A BANG'

Stating that her daughter should be acquitted, Aysel K. said regarding the possibility of her release,

“I trust my child very much. She grew up in politics since she was born; she will return with a bang. I trust her competence and her culture. She is a girl of science and wisdom. If the President could have sat down with her and seen her, believe me, he would have understood all of this and would have asked for Dilruba's forgiveness. Was there any personal insult or profanity directed at him?" she said.

'OUR STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE AFTER THE COURT'

Touching upon her daughter's health problems and stating that they will not let the process go after the court concludes, Aysel K. said, "Dilruba has a heart condition like me. I never let her go out much in her childhood; she had to eat healthy foods. My husband was a diplomat; we had a stressful life. It was said she would start wearing a headscarf at 14, but unfortunately, she didn't. We cannot use cosmetic products like nail polish or perfume. We cannot eat gluten-containing things; we usually feed on appetizers. This is what worries me the most. As a mother, I will never, ever let this process go because they have condemned my child with a hole in her heart to that place. I do not forgive them. I will not let those who make these bad comments go either. I raised my daughter as an orphan, I did not make her dependent on anyone," she said.

(Dilruba K and her mother Aysel K)

'IT IS CLEAR WHY THEY ARE KEEPING MY DAUGHTER INSIDE'

When we asked about the statements of AKP Group Deputy Chairman Özlem Zengin and whether there had been any contact from the government side, Aysel K. said, “I will also talk to Özlem Zengin. Let's see who will teach whom a lesson, let's see who is ignorant. Their turn will come. With God's permission, my daughter will get out. It is already clear why they are keeping her inside, to teach someone a lesson. Who are you teaching a lesson to? Only God gives lessons. I believe in God's justice. I don't know if anyone from the AK Party side has reached out. They call me constantly, but I don't really ask who is who. I am speaking as a mother," she said.

'DILRUBA WILL BE IN VERY DIFFERENT PLACES'

Touching upon the difficulties Dilruba K. has experienced, Aysel K. concluded her words as follows:

"Her ailments continue. My daughter has visitors 24 hours a day. My daughter's energy has also been depleted. She is constantly reliving the same processes by talking about them. She has always been a very ambitious girl since her childhood. I believe my daughter will return with a bang. She will be in very different places. There is definitely a blessing behind every evil. Dilruba had to work from a young age, but she never once came to me with a complaint that would make me bow my head. I still buy her clothes and everything. I never told her to come home at a certain hour, but she always came at the time she was supposed to. She never upset me on any subject, with any of her choices. She was always a girl who knew her limits and responsibilities. I became a mother when I was young, and she became a mother when she was young. When she applied for jobs, when she was asked 'Are managers or employees more important?', she always sided with the employees. My daughter was a friend of workers and laborers; she always defended their rights."