You can support our struggle for the freedom of our friends by clicking the link below and signing the Call for Freedom of Tayfun Kahraman and Mücella Yapıcı.

The list of signatories can be accessed below.

Call for the Freedom of Gezi Prisoners

In Turkey, participants in the 2013 Gezi Park protests continue to face political persecution and unlawful arrest. We call for the immediate release of these prisoners. 

On April 25th, 2022, the Gezi Case verdict was delivered. The court, evidently under the strong influence of the ruling AKP party since 2002, sentenced several individuals including Tayfun Kahraman, Mücella Yapıcı, Hakan Altınay, Çiğdem Mater, Mine Özerden, and Can Atalay to 18 years in prison, while Osman Kavala received a life sentence. They had peacefully defended Gezi Park against its unlawful demolition and were wrongly accused of attempting to overthrow the government through force. This verdict signifies an alarming rise in authoritarianism in Turkey and evokes our deep concern.

Free Tayfun Kahraman and Mücella Yapıcı!

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (UCTEA), our organization, has been actively engaged in the Gezi protests from the outset. We hold a professional, constitutional, and ethical responsibility to safeguard public interests. In 2012, we legally challenged the Taksim Project that aimed to convert Gezi Park to a shopping mall/hotel complex under the guise of reconstructing Artillery Barracks. The protection of Gezi Park, a rare public space in a densely populated earthquake-prone region, is of utmost importance.

          Tayfun Kahraman, an urban planner and former president of the Chamber of Urban Planners Istanbul Branch, along with Mücella Yapıcı, an architect and secretary of the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee, represented our chambers in the legal process. They participated in events organized by Taksim Solidarity, a coalition advocating for Gezi Park. Their actions were driven by political and civic responsibility, devoid of any criminal intent. The AKP government‘s refusal to engage in dialogue and its use of excessive police force escalated a minor protest to a nationwide movement. Our colleagues were among the millions advocating for urban rights in the transformative summer of 2013.

          In Turkey, the Gezi case is one of numerous instances of injustice, designed to suppress society. It seeks to criminalize a peaceful, spontaneous movement, labelling it as an insurgency. All allegations lack evidence, relying on unfounded conspiracy theories. Despite the defendants‘ acquittal in 2020, the case was revived in 2021 without new evidence, leading to an incomprehensible verdict. The judges‘ lack of impartiality and reason in convicting our colleagues for organizing and financing the protests is evident.

          We firmly state that our colleagues committed no crimes; they defended a natural and cultural space, opposing its transformation to a concrete wasteland. We urge you to help spread our message and support our campaign for our friends‘ freedom.

Who are our colleagues?            

Tayfun Kahraman, an urban planner (Ph.D), worked in the Ministry of Tourism, MSFAU and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). From 2006 to 2020, he carried out the duties of board memberships in the Chamber of Urban Planners (CUP) He was the head the Department of Earthquake, Risk Management and Urban Improvement in IMM (2019-2022). He is currently in Marmara Prison, Istanbul. Address: Marmara Ceza İnfaz Kurumları Kampüsü, Marmara Kapalı Cezaevi (9 No‘lu Cezaevi) Koğuş: A47, Semizkumlar Mah. Çanta Cad. No.162, 34570 Silivri/İstanbul Türkiye – Turkey

Mücella Yapıcı, an architect, worked in the Chamber of Architects as a member of the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee in the İstanbul Büyükkent Branch of the Chamber of Architects. Since 2021, she has been the representative of the Chamber of Architects in the board of UCTEA. Currently she is in Bakırköy Women‘s Prison, İstanbul. Address: Bakırköy Kadın Kapalı Ceza İnfaz Kurumu M12 Gençler Cd. No:16, 34147 Bakırköy - İstanbul

Your support and solidarity are greatly anticipated.