Political asylum seekers given refuge in Spain

(24 Apr 2018) LEADIN:
Turkish political asylum seekers have found refuge in Spain.
The refugees talk ahead of a visit from Turkey's Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim.
STORYLINE:
Mustafa proudly holds his brand new Spanish ID card.
He is one of the first three Turkish citizens who have been granted political asylum in Spain.
They sought refuge after the 15 July 2016 failed coup d'etat in their country.
His case, together with two other Turkish citizens, has been made public a few days before the visit of Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim this week.
The 38 year-old publisher left his country in November 2016, a few months after the failed coup, as he was terrified of being detained and imprisoned.
He is still frightened of revealing his identity for fear of retribution.
"After the failed coup attempt in Turkey, the regime of Erdogan has started a brutal hunt and ruthless repression. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, arrested and imprisoned," he says while having a coffee in Retiro Park, Madrid.
"I used to work in a publishing house in Turkey, that six or eight months earlier was seized by the government. I also thought we would be detained and imprisoned, that's why I had to leave Turkey."
The Turkish refugee used to work in a publishing house linked to Fethullah Gulen (US-based Turkish cleric) movement, a group accused by the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being behind the failed coup.
As Mustafa learnt Spanish a decade ago, he decided to head to Spain to seek safety and a peaceful life.
"I came to Spain in November 2016, and since that date I started the procedure to ask for asylum. And in less than a year, in 10 or 11 months, they (Spanish Government) granted me the right of asylum. That's why in this case, together with my family, we are all very happy, because if Spain extradite us, we have no country where we can survive", says the Turkish refugee.
According to an Amnesty International report, about 50,000 people have been imprisoned in Turkey and over 100,000 have lost their jobs since the failed coup.
Among them are lawyers, judges, soldiers, journalists and human rights activists.
The case of the three Turkish citizens in Spain has been defended by lawyers from Cremades & Calvo Sotelo, in Madrid.
Venezuelan lawyer Juan Carlos Gutierrez, who is a partner with that firm, explains the asylum procedure.
"After the so-called coup d'etat in 2016, an important number of citizens from Turkey have been persecuted. From this group, some of them came to Spain and applied for asylum to the Spanish State. Indeed, through 2017 some decisions were made and the Spanish State granted the refugee status to a group of people as they had the conviction they were been persecuted for political and religious reasons back in their country", says the lawyer.
Gutierrez is also keen to point out that a number of countries have declared that Fethullah Gulen and his supporters are not extremists.
"Several declarations have been made, even by the European Union, saying that the group is not a terrorist group. Last week the US State Department referred to that situation and they said clearly they are not a terrorist organisation."
Political activist Mehmet Siginir also left Turkey after the coup, having also worked for a publishing house linked to the Gulen movement.
The 38 year-old translator didn't need to apply for refugee status as he is married to a Spanish citizen.
From Madrid, he runs a website denouncing human rights abuses back in his country called Plataforma Pro Derechos (Human Rights Platform).

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