SU_T_40

[i] Hello [name]!
[r] Hello, my name is [name] I’m Turkish, I come from Turkey, I arrived here in Italy in 2016, I applied for asylum, after a year and a half I was given a residence permit for 5 years, which is called political asylum.
[i] [name] why did you ask for political asylum, why did you leave Turkey?
[r] Because I had a political problem in Turkey, because we are Kurds, there has been a problem between Turks since 2015. Before 2015, when Erdogan came to power towards the end of 2015, I was fine.
[i] So the problems of the Kurds in Turkey began in 2015 with Erdogan’s arrival? What exactly happened?
[i] My problem is that before 2015 we organised many Kurdish festivals. We also had festivals for the birthday of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of Kurdistan, called ‘Newroz’ …
[i] You celebrate the flag of the Kurds of Kurdistan?
[r] Yes, we did a lot of these parties, these photos ended up on Facebook, until 2015 these parties were legal,
[i] Of course if you want to have parties you do, you can take whatever photo you want on Facebook .
[r] In 2015 in Turkey they had two elections, the first was around the 6th or 7th of June. In these elections there is a Kurdish party HTP, they got 72 seats to represent the Kurds.
[i] So in these Kurdish elections the Kurds won 72 seats in parliament, to talk about the problems of the Kurds in Turkey.
[r] Yes, the Turkish parliament has almost 400 people, and the HTP won only 72 seats. But after the elections Erdogan said he wasn’t convinced so we have to do it again. Because he was convinced before the elections that he would win 300 seats. He only owes his party a seat in parliament. They re-ran the elections on the 1st of November, during this period he sent a lot of soldiers to the Syrian border. And I live near Syria,
[i] On the Syrian border? So he sent lots of soldiers, police and soldiers with weapons to wage war. First he said it was against ISIS, then after the elections in November when he won he had problems with the Kurds in Turkey, not in Syria, he sent the soldiers to Mardin Sanliurnafa, Diyarbakir, I’m sure you’ve heard about these problems, that many people have died. After that, if I remember correctly, in mid-November, the military also arrived in my city, with a list of 20 people.
[i] Let’s call it the blacklist where these people are.
[r] Meaning?
[i] The list where there are these names they are looking for,
[r] Yes, they’re looking for them because they had a party, photos, who had a meeting with AKTP. I’ve done it too. But I didn’t take photos at the meeting. And my cousin came to my house. And he told me to run away, that the police are looking for you. No, um… The military. The military, yes, not the police. And I didn’t know why, because I didn’t do anything, I didn’t kill anyone.
[i] Of course one wonders, because the word military is already a big one, and why were they looking for you?
[r] He said that there were almost twenty people there too, I saw your name on this list too. And you ran away immediately. And my father said you’re leaving. And I didn’t know where to go, because I’m afraid that they’re looking for me, but I don’t know, I didn’t know why they were looking for me.
[i] So what you do know is that you’re wanted on what charges you don’t know?
[r] And my father said to go to your uncle’s, so if they come, the military comes, we understand what we’re asking for. When I went to my uncle’s, after an hour the military arrived. Yes, they searched… and they said that where [name] is, my father asked why you are…
[i] Why are you looking for him? Yes, and they didn’t say anything. They said that when [name] gets home, you take this, take it to the neighbour in my town that there is, there is this… that is called… like the police station.
[i] Yes, yes, of course.
[r] The other city. And they said to look for [name] so we can say that you were also looking for him because we were looking for [name].
[i] So basically they came to your house looking for you and they asked your father why you had to go and report to the police station? Will they tell you why they were looking for you there?
[r] They didn’t say anything to me.
[i] You’ll only find out when you go there.
[r] Yes. But when they searched all the kitchens, the fridge… yes, they went over my house, our house. And my father said that this is dangerous. And after I went… they left and he called me and told me that you’re not coming home because they’re looking for you. They didn’t say anything to me either. And for four, five days I went to my uncle’s, my aunt’s… I didn’t get home. And my daughters who… when I was in Turkey there were two daughters, now I have three children. My eldest son was five when I arrived in 2015. And he speaks well too. And he always said that because I don’t come home I…
[i] There’s a little girl who was asking why her father doesn’t come home? What happened?
[r] And then my father heard that they’re looking for me because of these problems. Because we had a party, for photos. And he told me that it’s dangerous this way. If the military catches you, we won’t hear from you anymore, we won’t see you anymore.
[i] Of course.
[r] And if I knew that after a year, two years I’d be free…
[i] Of course.
[i] You think they’ll catch me and maybe I’ll get a year off my sentence but then be released, but in this case you don’t know?
[r] I don’t know, either they’ll kill you… that’s how it is in Turkey. Either they kill you or they don’t let you hear from your family, they don’t let them see you.
[i] Nothing.
[r] Yes, you didn’t know what they’d do to you. And after two or three days my father said that this is dangerous for your family, for your daughters. I’m afraid too. We’ll make you a… We’ll find you another place, a solution and we’ll send you away. Out of Turkey. And we looked for someone in Ankara. But in my city there is someone who knows this person in Ankara who always finds and sends people away.
[i] Or even work contracts abroad.
[r] Yes. I also spoke to him and he told me to come to Ankara one evening if I had any problems, so we could find a solution to send you away. And then I went to Ankara with my father. We went in two cars. Because I’m scared. One car behind, one car in front of me and I went behind him.
[i] Yes, to protect you. Yes, that’s how we went to Ankara. And then he told me that we’re looking for something for you that… with a visa. But I have to get a visa that… I’m only getting a visa for Italy.
[i] Of course.
[r] Italy or Germany… no, not Germany. Italy, Germany and always Czechoslovakia.
[i] So the visa could only be for these three countries?
[r] Yes. And then I chose Italy because in Italy there are many strings. I too have heard that in Italy they don’t send you to Turkey. I arrived here, in Bergamo. And he did a check with my name, with my passport. And he also told me that I should go to the airport. I’ll go to the airport too. We’ll send it to you that way. And we got the visa and I arrived on 15 January 2016. And I arrived in Italy, in Bergamo.
[i] And then in Italy did you arrive alone or with your family?
[r] No, I arrived alone. I arrived alone first. I arrived in Italy on 15 January. Two and a half months later my family arrived. I arrived in Italy on 24 March.
[i] Let’s say, since you arrived, from the first days, how have you lived your life? At the beginning, a boy who runs away from his country because he is afraid. How did you live this period?
[r] When I arrived here in Italy I didn’t know anything or anyone. Because there in Turkey there’s my big problem, they’re looking for me. So you don’t see anything, you don’t see the sun. You tell her that I left Turkey, also Greece…
[i] The important thing is that you’re out of Turkey because the danger is there.
[r] Yes.
[i] Wherever you go, you’re safe.
[r] Yes, I left the airport, I already took the bus, I asked someone there how I could get to Milan. Half English and half Turkish. And they understood me, they told me I had to take a ticket and we’d send you to Milan, to the centre of Milan.
[i] Yes.
[r] And I arrived in the centre of Milan, near the station. And there I saw that there was a kebab shop. I said to myself, I’m hungry, maybe I’ll go there and eat. Turkish, Arabic… I went there, I ate. And then he saw my suitcase. And he realised that I had just arrived.
[i] You’ve just arrived.
[r] Yes.
[r] And he asked me where you’re from. I said, I’m from Cordo, Turkey. He’s also from Cordo, Turkey.
[i] Yes.
[r] Because you’ve arrived here and you don’t know anything, you don’t know anyone. I said, no, I arrived here alone, I don’t know anyone, because there’s a… that’s my problem. And he told me to eat and sit here. When we finish this report, we’ll talk to you. And he arrived later, he told me I wanted to help you like this. If you don’t have anyone, you don’t know anyone here, it’s a bit difficult for you.
[i] Of course.
[r] Yes, he also told me, I am also a Cordo, a Cordo from Turkey. And he called me another person, he also arrived there. And he told me that we have a, here, like…
[i] A reception centre. Where you can go to sleep.
[r] Like a…
[i] Association.
[r] Yes, a ‘corda’ association. And he told me that if you want to come there, it’s there, lots of people always go there, lots of ‘corda’ people. So you get to know lots of ‘corda’ people, they help you. And I went there a little, I slept there a little. And I went to sleep with the other people who helped me in this place, we ate there. And for two months, like this, I didn’t work, I didn’t do anything.
[i] And what was it like with the Italian language, knowing that you didn’t speak Italian before?
[r] No, before, when we arrived in Turin we applied for asylum. In these two months I only heard words like what’s your name, and come, go… I only heard these words.
[i] Didn’t you go to school in the two months you were in Bergamo?
[r] No, I didn’t do anything, because in these two months I still hadn’t applied for asylum. I didn’t apply for asylum, that’s why I knew it was a bit dangerous. And it’s scary for the police without my family, also because in these two months I was always waiting for my family to arrive.
[i] Of course, so you waited for your family to arrive, so you could all apply for political asylum together. And when your family arrived, what did you do?
[r] My family arrived on 24th March, we spent almost 5-6 days there in Milan, and they said that in Milan, if you apply for asylum, it’s a bit dangerous for us, because they ask you where you arrived from, who helped you in these two months. We send you away with your family, if you apply for asylum, if you can’t find a house or a job, come here, we’ll find you a place to work, to sleep, for your family. They told me I had to go either to Rome or Turin. But I knew that Rome was a bit far, so I chose Turin, I arrived here which is close to Milan. We arrived here in Turin on 30-31 March.
[i] And when you arrived in Turin, what difficulties did you encounter? The difficulties you encountered here, when you arrived in Turin?
[r] We arrived in Turin, we had already taken the train, but we arrived here at night. Because they told me that when the coestura opens, you have to go in immediately, so you can apply for asylum, they give you the documents. And we arrived here, I don’t remember, at 3 or 4 in the morning. We sat in Porta Susa, because it was raining outside. And when the co-op opened at 8, we went there, at 8:30, 9 they opened the co-op. And they took us right away, because my wife’s arm was holding the little baby. They slept on my arm.
[i] It’s not easy.
[r] Yes. Then we applied for asylum, and just 3 or 4 hours later they told me that my family and I had to go and sleep somewhere. And then we arrived at this social cooperative, it’s called Terra Mondo. They spent 10 or 15 days in Turin, they found a house in Turin. Then we went to San Francesco, outside Turin. San Francesco al campo.
[i] So you found accommodation?
[r] Yes. We didn’t find it, they gave…
[i] Yes, yes, they offered it.
[r] Yes.
[i] And let’s say from that period onwards, how has your life changed? Your life and that of your family?
[r] With my family that happened last year, in 2018, we already got a 5-year residence permit. Then we did… we finished the reception contract. I found a house in Turin. I now work in Caselle, where the airport is. In front of the airport, in an Italian restaurant, it’s called Symposium.
[i] Yes. And how do you find the work? Let’s say, with your colleagues and everything?
[r] Good, very good, no? There are no problems at work. Now I’m making a success of it.
[i] Of course. So you feel very… well integrated?
[r] Yes, yes.
[i] Let’s say now, Mehmet, that you have the documents, both you and your family, could you go back to Turkey one day to see your family? Or are you still in danger?
[r] For me it’s a bit difficult, because when I go to Turkey, it’s a bit difficult because the police are looking for me. The police are looking for me. For my family there’s no problem, because they came here for me, not for them.
[i] Sure.
[r] If when these problems end, I can’t go to Turkey.
[i] Sure.
[r] After five years, ten years, I can’t go, because there were so many problems there. The police are looking for me.
[i] Of course. And let’s say, [name], if there weren’t these problems in Turkey, wouldn’t you leave your country?
[r] No.
[i] Would you have stayed in Turkey? No, in Turkey my job, I worked with my father, we did a good job. For work, for money, there’s no problem in Turkey. I didn’t come here to get money, only because of these problems in Turkey. I came here only because of these problems.
[i] Let’s say, [name], since you arrived here and you haven’t seen your family, how do you feel?
[r] My family, my mother…
[i] Your parents, yes.
[r] Yes, when I arrived here, since I arrived here, I still haven’t seen my mother. I only hear from her on the phone, I talk to her on the phone, on WhatsApp. My father only made a surprise visit in February, he came here for a week. There were two cousins in Germany and they sent the invitation to my father, he only came for a week.
[i] So he surprised you?
[r] Yes, it was a surprise.
[i] Were you happy?
[r] Yes, after three years yes. Now I want to bring my mother here this summer too. She also wanted to come to find my family.
[i] Of course. For my part, I wish you good luck and I hope that one day you can see, let’s say, your mum and you can also return to your country without problems, without danger.
[r] Thank you.
[i] Thank you [name], thank you for this interview and thank you for answering my questions.
[r] You’re welcome.