I’ve become just like my grandma, you know?
My arrest isn’t the first injustice our family has faced. My grandmother and my aunt were also “unlawfully” imprisoned. This is a story of a grandmother and her grandchild.
I am originally from Ermenek, Karaman. Ermenek, a small town perched above the Taurus Mountains, is unfortunately known for a mining disaster, but today I’m going to talk to you about something else... This is a story of a grandmother and her grandchild.
For days now, I’ve been telling you how I was sent to prison on a baseless criminal accusation in order to silence me. However, this injustice and unfairness is unfortunately not the first of its kind for our family.
The year is 1998; the district governor comes to visit the village of Çatalbadem in Ermenek. According to reports, the district governor has a new plan for the village’s natural spring water. However, the villagers refuse to accept these new plans regarding the water they use both in their homes and for farming.
In particular, the women of the village express their concerns and object to the district governor. Shortly afterward, a minor scuffle reportedly breaks out; it is even claimed that an official accompanying the district governor hits my grandmother, Fadime Arı—who was in her mid-60s at the time—on the arm with the walkie-talkie he was holding. Following the tension, the district governor and his entourage leave the village.
In the evening, the gendarmerie arrives in the village; approximately 11–12 women and a few men are taken into custody. Among those detained are my elderly grandmother and my aunt...
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According to the accounts of those who survived, the villagers were thrown into a holding cell at the gendarmerie station. Allegedly, the district governor also came to the station. A short time later, the villagers were arrested and sent to Ermenek Prison. My grandmother served six months, and my aunt served nine months in prison. My aunt, who is still alive, speaks with sadness about the injustice and unfairness she experienced during that time. We lost my grandmother about 10 years ago.
My aunt says they did not resist the district governor and were sent to prison on false charges. The bird my grandmother made from beads while in prison is still with us as a memento of her. As my aunt recounts how they shared the same cell and endured very difficult days there, she also adds to her memories the fact that years later, she encountered a female prison guard who had been stationed there while they were in prison.
After I began my career as a journalist, I set out to investigate this story I had known since childhood. I spoke with witnesses from that era who were still alive, and then found the name of the district governor from that time online. This step wasn’t very difficult; because the names of those who served as district governors during those years were listed on the official websites of certain institutions.
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I saw that after his posting in Ermenek, the district governor had served as a deputy governor in several cities and had subsequently left public service, so I continued my research. Assuming he was now a company executive, I called the company. I introduced myself, said I was a journalist, and they transferred the call to the person I was looking for.
“Did you serve as the district governor in Ermenek in 1998?” I asked. He was surprised and asked, “Yes, are you from Ermenek?” I explained the story and said, “Why did you have those village women sent to prison? One was my grandmother, and the other was my aunt.”
In response to my words, he simply said, “Whatever the state did was right,” and we ended the call.
The reason I’m telling this story is to show that even after nearly 30 years, not much has changed in the justice system. In prison, during my first phone call—which I was able to make about four days later—I told my father, “I’ve become like my grandma. You know?” All the poor man could do was laugh bitterly.
Even though the village women, my grandmother, and my aunt were held in prison for months, the village’s water source remained untouched.
Even if I’m unlawfully thrown into prison, I won’t give up journalism. Of course, those who sign off on unlawful decisions will one day face trial. I thank everyone who has supported detained journalists so far. But I’d like to reiterate this: Stand up for journalists to protect your right to information.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Babaannem gibi oldum, iyi mi?, published in BirGün newspaper on April 3, 2026.
