An initiative called Set Them Free has launched a letter campaign to show solidarity with women in jail and mothers who are incarcerated with their children.
In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, more than 17,000 women from all walks of life including teachers, doctors and housewives have been jailed in Turkey on coup charges in government-led operations. There are currently more than 700 children accompanying their mothers in Turkish jails.
The “Care, Share, Send a Letter” campaign calls for letters addressed to the mothers and women imprisoned in Turkey to give them hope, to stand in solidarity with them and to remind them that they are not alone.
The Set them Free initiative is calling on people to write letters full of love, hope and dignity that will empower the women in jail.
“We kindly urge you to use positive and encouraging language in the letter in line with our mission to give hope and empowerment to the jailed women. We expect letters to be emailed to sethemfreetr@gmail.com. After the campaign end date, Set Them Free will print the emailed letters and post them to the person that you have addressed,” says the initiative.
The letters will be kept confidential and no letter will be published on any of the platforms unless the correspondent gives authorization for Set Them Free to share their letters as a sample for other participants.
Set Them Free says it has received approval for the campaign from the relatives of mothers and female journalistssuch as Vahide Kutkut, jailed since February 2017 and mother of two children; Gülizar Diken Akbaba, jailed since July 2017 with her baby Miraz; Selma Polat, jailed since December 2017 with her baby Emir; journalist Ayşenur Parıldak, jailed since August 2016;Meltem Oktay, jailed since April 2017; and Hanım Büşra Erdal, jailed since July 2016.
“If you know any jailed mother or woman in person and have a connection to obtain an authorization from the family, please feel free to contact us, and we would be glad to include them as well,” the initiative says.
