The teacher Fatih Keskin, who was detained in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be deported to Turkey due to the pressure from the Erdogan regime, explained what he experienced during his 15-day detention.
CEVHERİ GÜVEN
Fatih Keskin is a teacher who has a permanent residence permit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Keskin is the principal of a Richmond Park College High School, based in the Bosnian city of Bihać. It is a school affiliated with the Gülen Movement. Police officers from the Bosnian Security Ministry detained Keskin and transferred him to a detention center for migrants in the capital city of Sarajevo to start the deportation process. However, he was brought before the judiciary after the public reaction. The Bosnian Court has ruled for the release of Fatih Keskin.
Erdogan Regime abducted more than 100 teachers with alleged links to the movement and brought them to Turkey. Fatih Keskin stated that this was their plan and explained his experiences:
The Police said without any explanation that my indefinite residence permit was revoked, and two police officers arrested me and transferred me to Sarajevo. Their first plan was to deport me to Turkey. I would be deported to Turkey if public pressure did not take place. After public and media pressure began, they tried to send me to a third country. A representative from the concerned authority came almost every day and proposed, “Let us send you to a third country. Let your lawyer get you a ticket and fly tomorrow. You have a Schengen visa; you can go to one of those countries or one of the countries that do not require a visa for Turkish nationals.”. They tried to get me out of Bosnia and Herzegovina, somehow, every day until the trial as there was severe pressure by Turkey.
“At first, the third country offer seemed rational, but since the parents and the students were struggling for my release, I said: “I don’t want to get out of this country like a ‘terrorist’ and leave without anyone knowing.”. My lawyer was also initially very interested in the offer for going to a third country, but my students were struggling outside, and they had silent protests.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has judicial independence”
They were trying to convince me of the third country proposal and somehow trying not to take me to court. I knew there is judicial independence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And I’m sure I didn’t commit any crime. The court could not rule a decision contrary to the EU norms. They were trying to send me without trial.
I faced judicial independence in the Bosnian courts, and the deport procedure was stopped, and I was released.
“The struggle gave results”
When I was in custody, the struggle outside for me was very significant. Especially the campaign of our students and parents was prominent. The rising reaction in the media and social media also had a positive impact. The local press highlighted the news objectively. There have been reactions from some Western countries that this is unlawful. I think this struggle was productive in not being deported in the first place.
Twenty years of toil
Fatih Keskin explained that many teachers had to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina last two years due to Turkey’s pressure and expired Turkish passports not being renewed in the Turkish Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There is 20 years of toil in our school. Last year we had 7 or 8 teachers with Turkish passports, but this year I am alone. There would be problems if I also leave school. I am staying here voluntarily. I love Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’ve been here in Bosnia since 2005. I got married in 2010, I have two children, and they are like Bosnians. Bosnia is part of us. My wife and I have visas from European countries, but we did not leave.”
There are friends in other similar situations; for instance, a teacher in Montenegro has long been detained over the demands of deportation. I want to invite all of our friends to support him for his release as soon as possible.