Mehmet Tarhan - Conscientious Objection

Conscientious Objection

Tarhan first publicly objected to military service in October 2001. At a press conference in Ankara he said,

"I condemn every kind of violence and believe that joining or condoning violence will only result in new violence and everyone will be responsible for the consequences. I think that wars caused by power-mongering states are first and foremost a violation of the right to life. The violation of the right to life is a crime against humanity and no international convention or law can justify this crime, regardless of any rationale. I therefore declare that I won’t be an agent of such crime under any circumstances. I will not serve any military apparatus."

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