My name is john didnt die i lived in exile. I served time in prison and. I was a marked man that i could i would die in prison or leave the country i chose exile. In the autumn of twenty sixteen i moved to. Id left my country my home and my wife behind. On the last day of september twenty sixth the police stormed and searched our home in istanbul they took away my wifes passport when i was in prison wed meet separated by a glass partition now we talk to each other on the internet. The author orators have been holding my wife hostage for a year now and filed no charges against her only crime was to be married to me. July fifteenth twenty sixteen was a turning point in our lives i was in spain and watched coverage of the turkish cure attempt on t. V. Crew was defeated with the help of the turkish people. It was clear that president out of one would use these events to strengthen his grip on power thats exactly what he did through state sponsored repression. My name is cut your dice im a journalist before the coup attempt id been to turkey several times. Afterward i noticed that the people i interviewed were reluctant to speak up i saw right away that the coup attempt would make the situation much worse for critics of the government in turkey. Gendron dar was the editor in chief of the newspaper general yet now hes on the governments list of wanted criminals. I met john in barcelona where i was working on a story he told me at the time that he couldnt go back to turkey and was thinking about moving to berlin he arrived a few weeks later the number of turks seeking asylum in germany tripled after the coup attempt john is one of the most prominent people to have gone into exile he and i decided that we would give these new expatriates a voice and tell their stories. And. So this is a new wave of refugees i mean its completely different than the sixtys you know the first couple years were you know paid. Once the crew six are true but this time this is a kid emissions artistry its autres so this is the brain of turkey coming to germany. One of them is lucky for our kids a sociologist the tea for signed a petition that called for peace in turkey is kurdish region and it got her fired from her university job. She and i met at a demonstration in support of University Lecturers whod been arrested and. Now the two of us are meeting again in germany. Latif arrived in december i was there when she met jan it was an emotional moment. How are you. And you. Better now that you are here. You had a meeting today yes we did how many questions. Could create about forty and some people could make it is in their mind bill i would have jobs at universities. Had them home and just about all of them but some came here on a tourist visa and theyre having Serious Problems with the immigration authorities. She should but theyre ok. I dont know any. But itll be even more difficult for those who want to come now theyre not allowed to leave the country she thought it would be hard juggling i have a German Authorities for sure purgative no problem or that these people cant leave turkey but you got out. I did it it was a real adventure. Why did i choose germany in fact it was germany that chose me while i was in prison i wrote a book and it was later published in germany in the weekly german paper to tide hired me to write a column writers associations offered me fellowships i want to wards and was invited to speak to distinguished audiences about the situation and sharkey. In the one nine hundred thirty s. And korea welcomed German Jewish intellectuals who had fled but nasser is now in berlin can return the favor. Since the one nine hundred sixty years large numbers of troops have emigrated to germany the majority of them now support the one. Like me many people in germany are concerned about the way the turkish government has cracked down on its opponents. For example denice eugen turkey correspondent for the newspaper the event has been held without charge in jail for months. I notice that john is still a little nervous here in germany. He hesitates when i ask him why he doesnt use taxi cabs after many discussions with the drugs the drivers decided to take or taxis and. Driving is better for me. I decided to get a car. Too i was so. Much more secure. But when taxis arent safe i cant believe that so i talked to a few taxi drivers. I did i wouldnt let chandon door into my cab. And shamus their failure is a traitor was feared of gender denies a traitor for me. Finish and theyre going to talk well if hes innocent whats he doing in germany hes guilty only someone up there why did he leave and after the release of patriot he should stay in turkey and if i didnt go and why did he come to germany because hes been persecuted by little forethought. Many in germanys Turkish Community believe what they see and hear in the state controlled turkish media which claims that chandan dar is not an objective journalist but a dangerous enemy of the state. John has put together an online portal this allows turks living in exile to present critical reports about the situation in turkey. I set up those portal and soon as i got to germany its called. We are free. But. We are in solidarity. With the stick we were i was a bit concerned that there are many journalists in jail so how can we say that we are free. But in their words they hope you know that we are still they can stop us. Since john will be arrested if he travels to turkey he and i decided i would go and do research for him there. I applied for a journalist visa if i went to turkey without one i could end up in jail. Three or thirty spent months reviewing my application and didnt reply. They seemed to be stalling. Then we decided to work with some turkish colleagues they shot this video in ankara for us were not going to identify these people because they could be arrested. There are now more reporters in jail in turkey than in any other country. From germany we arrange for our turkish crew to meet with johns colleague at him go to trial against the two of them is still under way in turkey. Adam girl and i were colleagues and share the same fate in the course of our reporting. We posted a video showing turkish Intelligence Officers sending weapons and ammunition to islamist rebels who were fighting the our side regime in syria. Adams crime was that he published these allegations the turkish government says that the trucks contained humanitarian aid not weapons and president had one made a very public threat. Of it was a liberal or your point the journalist who published this story will pay a high price. And we did pay we quarter at one committing a crime and were arrested the toasters in jail for allegedly revealing state secrets adam and i were put in solitary confinement sounds right next to each other. But the Constitutional Court ruled that we had done nothing wrong and ordered our release but i had one doesnt catch. A moment couple of big i dont accept the courts ruling. And i dont respect it as. He went after my newspaper from her yet early one. Morning while i was out of the country ten journalists were arrested. Six. Of them finally how are you you know its good the thing you did you did and our colleagues in jail. Theyre doing fine theyre optimistic but now the authorities are using handcuffs weve never seen that before. Where the way. To move your lay our. The situation in the prisons is a lot different now than it used to be hostile you know that each yeah even on the prison grounds. Because im clear thats how they treat our colleagues. There its happened to some of them. Thats all. Very it is keeping track of the days that our colleagues have spent in jail and one hundred fifty other journalists have been imprisoned just for telling the truth most newspapers toe the government line. Theyve been told to portray arson as terrorists. Is headline says terrorists in germany support all of turkey as an enemy. To kill. There were always different factions within the turkish media. There were those who supported the government and those who opposed it. I watch but weve never seen a case where journalists would be arrested for expressing political opinions. Mislay question but now some journalists are even calling for some of our colleagues to be killed is it that you. Would have a shame to rush. This is seven scott the wife of my friend mossad cant go we used to enjoy meals together now we share our paying. Seven shes on her way to visit my son in prison. As one of turkeys best known caricaturists uses his arm to defend his country. The caption says human rights will light our way. Get rid of the courts. Get rid of the parliament and i can certainly rule wants left. Not with these downside is it simply ridiculous you know moral person would allow this they charge me and sent me to jail for drawing cartoons for the other. Seven shes allowed to visit her husband once a week when they can talk by phone for an hour separated by a glass panel all turkish colleagues have been accompanying her and we asked them whether our Media Coverage had had any effect on mossad cuts trial or on prison visiting hours seven she says conditions in the prison have become a lot wes. They have a courtyard thats twenty metres square last week i saw something that made me sad. In the court. The prisoners used to be able to see the sky but now theyve covered the yard. It was the only place where the prisoners could feel at least a little free and now its gone. That made me very sad. Is that. The prison is located in the city of saline fifty about sixty kilometers west of istanbul the closer you get the more police you see were not allowed to film here. This is the first time john has seen the video footage taken by all turkish t. V. This is my second that gross sneery during our visit there was a ration there can you imagine the mean people allowed to come there and make the most rationing over the. City. Was. Was was. You know youre not allowed to go there. Its unbelievable. Your friends were thinking theyre your friends and colleagues were in there and then there was a new. Really touching and can you imagine that my lawyer you know coming there to visit me and now theyre in with the. Three of them and the other will to me insignia three of them well. Some say there are now more intellectuals in this prison than anywhere else in turkey it will be india earlier that you know. Yesterday was especially difficult valentines day is three days away itll be the first time in years that weve spent that day of heart. On the prison phone so wish me a happy valentines day. It was very touching. And ill never forget it. Im on my way to visit a friend who came to berlin before i got here hes a doctor and film director he publicly diagnosed president tatooine as having a Narcissistic Personality Disorder he was charged with libel so he got on a plane and flew to. Try. To shake off the plane of the last minute i got to my fathers funeral and then went straight to the airport. When i got on the plane there were still dirt from the grave site on my shoes. We have left behind the graves of our loved ones weve left behind a piece of our sounds and our lives as they once were. A limb is our refuge but its also our place of exile you can be happy here but also sad you cant be peaceful. But also dangerous. Here in berlin mostafa opened a school for actors is making good use of his experience. The school is for young turkish people many of them dream of finding work in turkish television. While john watches his friend at work i try to interview some of the turkish students but they dont feel like talking theyd found out that we were coming and debated whether they should talk to us some said that if they appeared in the same reporters john it could hurt their careers. They want to. And somebody says that he or she was in the course of job. Once again carter. From the protect. These kinds of things together is of. Mostar is working on a new project. Its a film about the twenty first taksim gazey park protests in istanbul showing how the turkish people rose up against repression. Is the summer girls little. Break you may be and how they had their hopes dashed. Sooner or starve i was among those who tended to the wounded. Only to do. Good work or. We didnt leave our country our country left us. Even. The book its not a good feeling can do just the day i did. You work for your country for half a century. You fight for a Better Society and a better world. Hurry reveals and then this country that youve worked so hard for journalists and tosses you around the city at the center. Were on our way to visit a man whose life is in danger not only in turkey but also here in germany where he now lives in exile. Or hunch and sire was a mayor in turkeys kurdish region he believes he could be killed by Islamic State supporters or by agents of the turkish secret police. She has defended the rights of turkeys kurdish minority. Thats prompted threats from turkish nationalists here in germany. He never leaves his home without a bodyguard. I dont go out very often and when i do its only for half an hour or an hour but im happy to be able to do that. So. It. Has been living in germany since twenty fifteen i want to find out what the situation was like in turkey before he left. Turkey my homeland has been wracked by p k k terrorist attacks for thirty five years but p. K. Demands autonomy for turkeys kurds last year forty four people were killed in an attack in istanbul in twenty thirteen the government and the p. K. Had agreed on a ceasefire. But hopes for a peaceful settlement were shattered in twenty fifteen after a Suicide Attack in the kurdish region. The assailant was said to be a member of Islamic State but the p. K. K. Blamed the turkish government the violence continued. The p. K. Call for selfgovernment in kurdish senses p k k fighters took up positions on the streets of the turkish government viewed all this as a declaration of war. And the kurdish cities that had declared autonomy were raised to the ground this video was shot by a turkish soldier Government Troops fired at civilians who were transporting the wounded under a white flag that people who were filming these events. This video was never shown on turkish state t. V. Or hunch ansal also treated the wounded even though hes a dentist by profession. Thats what we call the ambulances sometimes they showed up or sometimes not a good listener that there was a news blackout at the time you thought what was it really like that says then you all blow through the battle you call an ambulance and they say were not coming over they told us to bring the wounded to them well how do you do that if. People were bleeding out so you pick them up. And then youd be arrested for trying to help. You through. One thousand five hundred people were killed over three months in thirty cities and towns half a Million People were forced to leave their homes. Was one of them he was suspended from his job as mayor and was charged with supporting a terrorist organization leading members of his Political Party the h. T. T. P. Were arrested. In decided that he had to leave the country theres no Armed Conflict here obviously but chancellor is terribly lonely he left his wife and children behind in turkey. Other turks in germany have been persecuted for speaking out. We need latifa accuser get a sociologist whos now living in frankfurt in turkey she supported efforts to end the fighting between the kurds and the government. That prompted a sharp attack from the president at the one. Im a bot. These fake intellectuals accuse the government of carrying out a massacre there are no numbers are. You intellectuals are not educated you are evil people and these. Are the ones remarks had serious consequences for that she felt. She shows me some social media comments from the same day at the time she was working at a university in the town of dujail suddenly she was targeted by critics. Coverage of ed once comments spread like wildfire that there are no words that make that a regional t. V. Station portrayed latif as a piece of cake a terrorist. But you know whats particularly appalling is that this sociologist who works at the university and dues just has actually put her name on a petition. Latifa lives in this dormitory room in frankfurt she feels safe here but she had to leave her home in turkey and quit her job she no longer has contact with her students and colleagues people she really liked it all disappeared in just two days. Well on wednesday evening my friend said it was too dangerous for me to stay and do. Two things they didnt want me to leave on the regional bus. Or that they sized up the situation and then drove me to the nearby province of is met by. Their i took a bus to istanbul. The next morning i found out that the authorities had issued a warrant for my arrest they searched my home and my office at the university they claimed that i disappeared even though they could have easily reached me by phone so they issued a warrant and then they passed the story along to the press. Which. Latifa wasnt arrested but she was banned from working and from leaving the country later she secretly made her way to frankfurt she describes the situation of the university before she left us that some of my colleagues didnt actually speak out against me but they just sort of disappeared from my life and i was pretty upset about that. People on social media took me off their list of friends. People who had phoned me every day to chat he just stopped calling that really hurt. All. Just because you all until i want to turn the authorities campaign against us had created an atmosphere of fear among my colleagues that they were afraid to talk to me or speak up you tell that its a its only vehicle and i think that this is the main reason why were in the situation we are now a little sis in the song no use the. Gucci university in frankfurt has awarded le t. For a two year grant. Its a political gesture to show that germany will support exiles whove been oppressed by all thora tarion regimes. But turkey says the German Government is harboring terrorists. Turkeys domestic political troubles are now playing out in germany. In february twenty seventh turks in the western german city of omaha was an campaigned in favor of a referendum that would give president head one more executive powers the turkish Prime Minister attended a big rally there john didnt go because of the charges against him in turkey german reporters werent exactly welcome there either. But there are means freedom everyone means freedom. And youre talking armisen thats at the top of what weve heard several certainly noticed that some people are criticizing the turkish government without any justificatio