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Meriç Kahraman's post about 'Vera': 'I cannot accept her growing up with the fear of being imprisoned'

Dr. Meriç Demir Kahraman, wife of urban planning expert Tayfun Kahraman—who served as the Head of the Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Improvement Department at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) until he was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the Gezi Park trial—shared a post on her social media account describing how their 4.5-year-old daughter, Vera, is living in fear of prison.

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Gezi prisoner Tayfun Kahraman'’s wife, Meriç Demir Kahraman, announced on her social media account that their daughter Vera is experiencing a fear of prison.

'IF SHE SAYS I WANT MY DADDY...'

Meriç Kahraman said, "As a mother, my heart aches. A little while ago, Vera said, 'I want to talk to the people who are holding my daddy, I will explain everything to them.' Then she asked, 'But I'm scared, Mommy, what if they hold me too? Will they hold me there too?' My daughter is 4.5 years old. We have had no effort other than raising her as a good person who does not know hatred or how to do evil. My daughter, whom I protect like the apple of my eye, is telling me at 4.5 years old that she is afraid of being 'thrown inside'." she said.

Stating that the photo she included in her post, where Tayfun Kahraman is hugging his daughter, was taken 2 years ago, Kahraman added: "The photo below was taken 26 months ago. 26 months ago, Vera was 2 years old. Since she started talking, she has been trying to make sense of a situation we cannot make sense of either, with her child's mind. As the daughter of a father who is 'held' inside without cause, she senses that something might happen to her if she says 'I want my daddy'." she stated.

"HE IS BEING HELD IN PRISON WITHOUT A SINGLE CONCRETE CRIME"

Stating that there is no evidence against Tayfun Kahraman, Meriç Demir Kahraman continued as follows:

"I am calling out to everyone with a mind, conscience, and morality: For God's sake, do not remain silent! My only Vera, whose biggest fear should be losing a toy, does not deserve this fear she is being forced to live; no child deserves it! Have hearts become so hardened that they can remain spectators to the continuation of this persecution? Tayfun Kahraman is an honorable, decent, and honest statesman who acted as a mediator during the Gezi events, strove to establish common ground with the government to calm the events, met with both Mr. Bülent Arınç and Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, completely rejected violence, and never deviated from the line of law. All the actors of that period are witnesses to this."

'I CANNOT ACCEPT MY DAUGHTER GROWING UP WITH THE FEAR OF BEING IMPRISONED'

My husband, Tayfun Kahraman, is innocent. He is being held in prison without a single piece of evidenced crime against him in the case file, without a single concrete crime with a written legal justification.

I am saying this not as Tayfun's wife, but as Vera Kahraman's mother: I cannot accept my daughter growing up at 4.5 years old with the fear of being imprisoned! I also cannot accept this being considered normal!"