Introduction
A period in which justice was suspended began in Turkey on July 15, 2016. During this process, 952 individuals were identified as having lost their lives, 152,000 civil servants were dismissed, more than 500,000 people were arrested, and over 3,000 children were forced to grow up in prison with their mothers. According to the latest official figures, 552 children are still in prison with their mothers. Problems such as job loss, deprivation of liberty, ostracization by the state and society, exclusion, and condemnation to absolute poverty have caused the disintegration of thousands of families.
Some families have actually divorced, while in some families, family unity cannot be achieved because one of the spouses is in prison or abroad. This situation affects the lives of children the most. Victims of the state of emergency and decrees have been subjected to 152 different rights violations since July 15th. Adults have the foundation to make sense of this situation. However, children born into or growing up amidst this upheaval cannot comprehend what is happening. Therefore, it is very important to reveal the experiences of children who have no other crime than being born in Turkey and having the parents they have.
The aim of this study is to understand and describe the experiences of children, the most innocent victims of the social annihilation that began with the July 15 process, over an 8-year period. Within the scope of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 children between the ages of 6-18 whose parents were imprisoned. After the interviews with the children, some information was confirmed from the mother or a relative accompanying the child. The study reveals the difficulties children experience in their family lives and social circles when their mother or father or both are imprisoned. In addition, the study highlights the impact of the discrimination and exclusion on their education. Finally, it will bear witness to the efforts of imprisoned mothers or fathers to keep their children strong and to maintain parenthood through letters and small gifts within the limited conditions of the prison.
Age has been observed as the most crucial factor in how children perceive, describe, and are affected by the events. The age of the participants, as well as the age at which their parents were imprisoned, has been a determining factor in the level of impact they experienced and their understanding of the events.
Methodology
This study employed a case study approach within the qualitative research methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 children, aged 6-18, whose parents had been imprisoned. Of these children, 13 were girls and 8 were boys. To ensure the accuracy of the children’s accounts of their experiences while their parents were in prison, additional interviews were conducted with the children’s parents, grandparents, or other close relatives who had accompanied them during this time. These follow-up interviews were particularly important for participants aged 6-8. Six of the participants had both parents in prison, while the remaining 15 had either their mother or father incarcerated. Three participants’ parents were imprisoned for less than a year and the parents of seven were in prison for 1-3 years (or are still imprisoned for less than 3 years). The parents of three were behind bars for 5 years, two for 6 years, two for 7 years, and four for 8 years.
Eleven interviews were conducted via Zoom, while ten were conducted face-to-face. The total duration of the 21 interviews was 15 hours and 45 minutes. During the face-to-face interviews, observational notes were taken regarding the children’s behavior. The online interviews were also conducted with video, allowing for similar observational notes to be taken.
Methodological discussions surrounding the use of children as research participants and the collection of data from children are well-known. The researchers’ own experiences as parents of young children provided an advantage in understanding child language. Furthermore, as victims of the post-July 15th decrees themselves, the researchers were able to observe children during prison visits.
The escalating repression by the Turkish government following July 15th, coupled with the uncertainty about the extent of its potential actions, cast a long shadow over every phase of the research. In a period where 8 million people were affected, hundreds lost their lives, and families were torn apart, finding participants for the study proved to be the most challenging aspect. Over 250 individuals declined to participate during the research process. While a certain level of refusal is expected in research, the reasons behind these refusals themselves constitute significant data. Two primary reasons emerged: firstly, families’ fear of potential repercussions from the government, expressed as “what if something happens to us,” and secondly, the concern that the interviews might trigger further trauma in their children.
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