Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Conscientious Objection in Turkey

Quadrilingual publication to International Day of Conscientious Objection 2021

(15.05.2021) In Turkey, the first conscientious objectors publicly declared their objections in the early 1990s and stood up against war, the military and compulsory service. In the meantime, far more than 1,000 conscripts have declared their conscientious objections. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands have evaded military service, using other ways or hiding. Faced with prosecution, several hundred have sought asylum abroad. By now Turkey is the only member state in the Council of Europe that has not recognised the right to conscientious objection to military service.

This booklet is published 30 years after the first public declarations of conscientious objection. It takes stock, describes the solidarity work for the conscientious objection movement from abroad and gives a voice to conscientious objectors, some of whom were active in Turkey for years and have now gone into exile.

A publication to the International Day of Conscientious Objection in a quadrilingual online edition.

International Conscientious Objection Day

Solidarity with conscientious objectors in Turkey

(09.04.2021) Every year on 15th May, the International Conscientious Objection Day, we organise solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draw attention to their resistance to war. This year we have a particular focus on Turkey – working closely with Conscientious Objection Association (Vicdani Ret Derneği).

Eritrea: Cooperation with the wider Eritrean democracy movements recommended

Intergroup discussion on Eritrea in the Bundestag

(29.06.2020) On 25 June 2020, a public intergroup zoom discussion was held at the invitation of Rudi Friedrich (Connection e.V.) and Kathrin Vogler (MdB, Die Linke). Several experts as well as members of the German parliament parties SPD, FDP and the parliamentary group Bündnis 90/Die Grünen took part in the discussion. More than 60 persons from about 10 countries were following the discussion.

Celebrating the International Day of Conscientious Objection 2020

A colourful video collection to May 15 is online now !

(15.05.2020) Today, on May 15, the International Day of Conscientious Objection, Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International present numerous video clips from all over the world on our YouTube channel Refuse to Kill. “We received contributions from many countries that deal with varied aspects of conscientious objection, from North and South America, from Asia, from Africa, and from Europe”, says  Rudi Friedrich from Connection e.V. “It is a clear commitment against war and participation in war.”