Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (born 2 November 1964, in Şarkikaraağaç, Turkey) is a medical doctor[1] (pulmonologist), human rights activist[2] and an MP (Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly - TBMM) for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).[3]

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu

Member of Parliament
Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu during an interview with Euronews
Member of the Turkish Parliament (TBMM)
Assumed office
7 July 2018
ConstituencyKocaeli
President of Mazlumder
In office
2007–2009
Preceded byAA
Succeeded byAA
President of Mazlumder (Kocaeli branch)
In office
2003–2007
Personal details
BornŞarkikaraağaç, Isparta, Turkey
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party (HDP)
EducationMedical doctor, Anadolu University, 1990
OccupationMedical doctor (Pulmonologist)
CommitteesParliamentary Committee for Human Rights Inquiry
PortfolioHuman rights
Websitehttps://www.omerfarukgergerlioglu.com/

He has dedicated his political career to fighting against the human rights violations in Turkey.[4]

Educational life

Gergerlioğlu completed his primary and middle schools (Religious Vocational School) in Bursa, Turkey. In 1990, he graduated from the Medical School of the Anadolu University.

Professional career

He began working at a Medical Center in Tecirli, Igdır. His second stop was Orhaneli State Hospital, Bursa.[5]

He was successful in the Expertise in Medical Science (TUS) in 1995. He completed his expertise training in pulmonology at Süreyyapaşa Pulmonology Hospital (2000).[5]

In 2005, he started working as a pulmonologist (with a focus on tuberculosis) at Seka State Hospital, Kocaeli.[5]

He was suspended from public service due to one of the messages he shared on social media.[6] During the State of Emergency (OHAL), which was declared following the 15 July 2016, coup attempt in Turkey, he was purged from public service with a decree-law (KHK) no. 679, dated 6 January 2017.[7] He is also banned from leaving country. Thanks to his Member of Parliament status, he can now travel abroad.[8]

He was sentenced to 2,5 years prison, in February 2018, because of a tweet.[9]

Gergerlioglu at the Turkish Parliament during the #coronapandemic

Other activities

He was active in the field of education between 2009 and 2015. He was the founding manager of a pre-school education institute. He was also the Kocaeli representative of an educational institution named Akil Oyunlari ('Mind Games' in English), which is focused on developing children's intelligence.[10]

Human Rights Career

Between 2003 and 2007, he assumed the presidency of the Kocaeli Branch of Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed (known as MAZLUMDER an abbreviation of its Turkish name: 'İnsan Hakları ve Mazlumlar İçin Dayanışma Derneği'). At the local level in Kocaeli, he led various activities from freedom of expression to women's rights. He pioneered drafting reports and organizing petitions. He initiated the 'Freedom to headscarf' campaign and oversaw it for years.

In 2007, the General Assembly of MAZLUMDER appointed him as the President at the national level. Despite the calls from the General Assembly to continue his function, Gergerlioglu decided to leave the presidency in 2009.[11]

Gergerlioglu during a speech at the General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament

He became the spokesperson of Kocaeli Peace Platform (2013),[12] which consisted of various NGOs that are active in Kocaeli, and the spokesperson of Rights and Justice Platform, which was founded in March 2017.[11]

He attended countless human rights events both in Turkey and abroad, and organized various human rights campaigns, including drafting reports on specific issues. Since 2007, he has been writing about national and global political issues in local, national and international newspapers and websites. He has given countless interviews on websites and makes podcasts on human rights violations. He makes weekly broadcasts on Periscope named 'OFG TV'.[13]

Gergerlioglu is a supporter of Kurdish rights. After Sur and Cizre operations, he and other human rights activists released a declaration criticizing excessive usage of force and human rights violations of security forces.

In the aftermath of the 15 July 2016, coup attempt in Turkey, he has been mainly focused on the legal and social effects of the State of Emergency (OHAL), particularly the decree-laws (KHK). He played the leading role in revealing torture cases (such as the case of tortured Turkish diplomats) and in bringing human rights tragedies to the public attention (such as the case of Ahmet Burhan Atac).[14]

Examples of his activities
  • He was the head researcher of the field study on 'Ethnic and Religious Discrimination in Turkey.

Examples of his articles and interviews
  • 'Turkey's political prisoners at grave risk from COVID-19', Washington Examiner (11 May 2020).[15]
  • His interview about the bill on execution of sentences in Turkey, Al Arabiya (15 May 2020).[16]

Political career

At the election of 24 June 2018, he was elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) from Kocaeli. His political party is the People's Democratic Party (HDP).[17] He is a member of the Parliamentary Commission of Human Rights Inquiry.[3] He draws attention to human rights violations and campaigns to improve the rights of Kurds, prisoners and people who have been purged after July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

In January 2018, he signed a petition against Turkey's Operation Olive Branch against Afrin, Syria.

Honors and prizes
  • The Intellectual of the Year Award by Feta Initiative and Sakarya Voluntary Educators Association (2013)[18]
  • Selected as the 'Person of the Year (2019)' by the Ahval News (2019)[19]

References
  1. "Turkey, the great purge (Episode 3: Omer)". France 24. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. "Human Rights Advocate Gergerlioğlu Gets Prison Sentence for Social Media Post". bianet.org. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. "Members of the Parliament". tbmm.gov.tr. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  4. "Ahval 'Yılın Kişisi'ni seçti: Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu". Ahval News. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  5. "My CV". Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu Portal (in Turkish). 2 February 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. "Gergerlioğlu görevden alındı". Cagdas Kocaeli. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  7. "Doktor Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu da KHK ile ihraç edildi". T24. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  8. "KHK'lı vekillerin yurt dışı yasağı kalktı". Milliyet. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  9. "WEATHERING THE STORM: DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY'S CLIMATE OF FEAR". Amnesty International. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. "AKIL OYUNLARI'NDA İKİNCİ DÖNEM". OFG Web. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  11. "'MAALESEF BUGÜN MEDİNE SÖZLEŞMESİ UNUTULMUŞ'". OFG Web. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  12. Akyol, Mustafa (22 October 2016). "How to lose a job with a peacenik tweet". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  13. "ÖFG TV (Videos)". OFG Web (in Turkish). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  14. Hurtas, Sibel (28 February 2020). "A boy took on Turkey's fickle justice system; guess who won". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  15. "Turkey's political prisoners at grave risk from COVID-19". Washington Examiner. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  16. Gergerlioğlu, Ömer Faruk (15 May 2020). "Al-Arabiya TV kanalına infaz yasası ve cezaevleri konulu verdiğim söyleşi • Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu Portal". Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu Portal (in Turkish). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  17. "HDP Deputies". hdp.org.tr. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  18. ofg (2 February 2019). "Özgeçmişim • Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu Portal". Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu Portal (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  19. "Ahval 'Yılın Kişisi'ni seçti: Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu". Ahval (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.