Nuray Mert says goodbye: I am afraid

Journalist and academic Nuray Mert has announced that she will stop writing articles and expressing opinions on political issues, stating that she has been targeted.

In an article she published on Medyascope titled "I Am Saying Goodbye", Mert drew attention to the lawsuit filed against her and expressed the fear she is experiencing. Mert stated that for this reason, she will no longer write articles with political content or share her thoughts with the public.

Here are the highlights from Nuray Mert's article:

'WHAT A GREAT FOLLY!'

At the beginning of March, on the first day of Ramadan, I was invited to a program on Akit TV. I did not heed the warnings of friends and family; I thought that one should not discriminate regardless of the medium, so I participated in the program. Throughout the program, my views on the Kurdish issue, old footage that had caused me trouble in the past, and distorted topics were persistently brought to the agenda. Once again, I tried to explain my views with all my sincerity. I felt no discomfort from this. What a great folly!

I do not know if it was a signal flare or an ominous sign, but the next day, the outlet called Oda TV published a news story covering the parts of this program that would attract backlash. Two outlets, one Islamist and one nationalist, known to be far apart from each other, had met at a point where they could knowingly or unknowingly make me a target. Indeed, two and a half weeks later, I received notification that a serious criminal lawsuit had been filed against me for "membership in an armed organization," based on a photograph taken in the Kurdish region of Syria in 2014 within the framework of a visit by female journalists. It is hard to understand what kind of business this is. It is impossible to reason who would seriously believe that I could be a member of any organization, let alone an armed one.

'AM I NOT AWARE OF THE KIND OF COUNTRY I LIVE IN?'

During this time, my friends and family found me at fault again; why did I go on the Akit TV program, why did I open the way to be confronted with these issues and questions that had caused me so much trouble in the past? Were such broadcasts not a tool to stir up events? What can I say, they are right too. Am I not aware of the kind of country I live in, and if I am not, shouldn't I be? It should be, but I am someone who has always refused to act with this thought in mind. I have nothing to hide or conceal; I thought that everything I said, wrote, drew, and spoke was for the good of this country. Another folly!

'I AM AFRAID'

Even though I had the opportunity, I never thought about living abroad. I don't regret that either. I am just afraid now, both for myself and for my country. For myself, I am afraid of who will look after my cats if I end up in prison. I am afraid that I will be separated from my niece's little girl, whom I consider a "grandchild." I am afraid because, due to the traces of the deadly illness I went through, my health condition, and my age, my endurance and strength are about to run out. For my country, I am afraid because it has become unknown where we are heading in a dark tunnel. I am afraid for that little girl. There is nothing to be ashamed of; a human being is a creature that feels fear.

Ultimately, for this reason, and regardless of the outcome of the latest lawsuit filed against me, I have decided to stop writing political commentary articles and expressing opinions regarding my country, which I have always seen as a civic duty.