Ayten ͖ztͼrk: the right to life!
Ayten Öztürk disappeared on 9 March 2018. Arrested at the Beirut airport in Lebanon and then taken into custody, since then no official information has been released. Today, no one knows where she's. As every day, the question is asked: where is Ayten Öztürk?
On March 9, 2018, Ayten Öztürk, a Turkish revolutionary fighting fascism in her country, went to Beirut airport in Lebanon to catch a flight to Athens, Greece. However, she never reached her destination. Arrested and then held in custody, she disappeared without anyone being able to trace her. Sources suggest that the Lebanese government has handed her over to the Turkish authorities. Nothing confirms that. In any case, not the government concerned. Is she still alive? Does she suffer torture in a cell? if that, where? Is she in the hands of the secret services to serve as a bargaining chip for arrangements between powers for whom human life has no value? All these questions remain unanswered.
One can think of the overused quote: "I don't agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death so that you have the right to say it". Falsely attributed to Voltaire, the fact remains that it represents the philosophy that was his. And rightly so! This way of thinking should be the one of everyone, the one of all the defenders of Democracy. This democracy that unfortunately no longer exists in Turkey. It illustrates the right to freedom of expression but also the right to dignity and the right to life that flow from it.
The important thing is to recognize this right to freedom of conscience and to life. Without these two basic notions, there're no human rights. These human rights considered as the inalienable foundations of the freedom of the individuals.
The right to life is sacred. Without any distinction of nationality, without any distinction of political or religious conviction. And no ideology of any kind, political or religious, can allow to flout that right for anyone. As for every human being, there's no justification for Ayten Öztük to be exempted of this right.
Every individual, every state must respect and protect this right to life. Or to enforce it if necessary. In a world where fundamental values ”‹”‹are disappearing, defending the right to life remains a priority for democratic forces. A priority they strive to uphold at all costs. In the name of this right, the clamor that goes up to ask "Where is Ayten Öztük?" will only stop when questions will be answered. And according to what will be revealed, it'll be up to take the necessary decisions to ensure that Ayten Öztük can benefit from this right to life.
Yesterday, the question has already been asked. It's still today. It'll be tomorrow: where's Ayten Öztük? Where is she so that she can benefit from this right to freedom of expression and freedom of conscience? Where is she so that the rights to dignity and life to which she's entitled can be defended?
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