Military 

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Military parade in Turkey, © Timo Vogt

Turkey: I refuse!

(15.05.2021) I will start with the first day when I was 19 years old. I was sitting in the garden and got a visit from a talkative friend. He told me that we had to show up for the physical examination. I told him, “I won’t go to the military, you can go.” I can’t explain why I wanted to refuse even then, but there was always a voice inside me telling me that something couldn’t be right with the military service.

My friend was stunned and said, “Rebel against the state! They will make you disappear! Where will you go?” He said many foolish things when I talked back at him. At last he turned to my mother and said, “Aunty, you would also be in trouble, they will pressure you to deny help and support to a criminal.”

Défilé militaire en Turquie, © Timo Vogt

Turquie: Je refuse !

(15.05.2021) Je vais commencer par le premier jour, quand j’avais 19 ans. J’étais assis dans le jardin et j’ai reçu la visite d’un ami bavard. Il m’a dit que nous devions aller à la visite médicale pour le service militaire. Je lui ai répondu : « Je ne vais pas m’engager dans l’armée, tu peux y aller. » Je ne pourrais pas expliquer pourquoi j’ai voulu refuser à ce moment-là, mais il y avait toujours ce sentiment en moi que quelque chose n’était pas juste par rapport au service militaire.

Mon ami était stupéfait : « Tu te rebelles contre l’État ? Ils te feront disparaître ! Où vas-tu aller ? » Il disait beaucoup de choses stupides quand je le contredisais. Enfin, il s’est tourné vers ma mère : « Ma tante, tu auras aussi des problèmes, ils vont faire pression sur toi pour que tu n’aides pas et ne soutiennes pas un criminel. »

Türkiye’de askeri geçit töreni, © Timo Vogt

Türkiye: Reddediyorum!

(15.05.2021) İlk günden başlayacağım. Henüz 19 yaşındaydım, bahçede otururken geveze bir arkadaşım geldi. Hadi, askerlik muayenesine gitmemiz gerekiyor dedi. Ben askere gitmeyeceğim, sen git dedim.

O zaman neden reddettim tam olarak açıklayamam ama içimden hep bir ses yanlış bir şeyler olduğunu söylüyordu. Arkadaşıma bu cevabı verince afalladı, devlete kafa mı tutuyorsun dedi. Seni kaybederler, nereye kaçacaksın gibi bir sürü saçma cümle kurdu. Ben direnince sonunda anneme seslendi. Teyze dedi, sizin de başınız belaya girer, suçluya yardım ve yataklıktan sizi de içeri atarlar.

South Korea: Petition on Mandatory Military Duty for Women

(14.05.2021) A petition filed on the National Assembly website demanding that the country’s mandatory military duty also apply to women will be reviewed by parliamentary committees after it was signed by 100-thousand people.

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