Imagine feeling your house shaking, hearing military planes fly over your house, and worrying about your uncle being out in the streets while there are thousands of people protesting. Having no trust in the news because channels keep getting shut down and having no trust in your government. That's only a taste of what happened in the Turkish coup d'etat earlier this week.
One of my mutual friends is currently in Turkey and was there during the coup d'etat. Their name can't be shared with the public because it's not safe for people to speak out; they may get in trouble with the government and risk imprisonment. But they agreed to tell me what that day was like.
The day as a whole was confusing and scary. The Turkish people did not know what to expect at any minute. Hundreds of people, including my friend, were scared. They weren't sure where to turn to for the truth.
According to my friend, ever since the attempted coup, things have gotten better, however there is much room for improvement. People are still rioting and protesting in the streets, especially at night because the coup failed. Some people believe that the coup was staged in order to make the president look like a hero, but no one can say this without risking serious repercussions.
I asked them if they feel safe in Turkey. Where they are, they feel safe, but if they were closer to the city, no. There were riots continuing and threats of ISIS bombings throughout the day and the days proceeding. Over 200 people are dead and over 50,000 people have been imprisoned. They have gone to Turkey for the past 14 years, and this was the most unsafe they have ever felt in their home away from home.
Now, my friend wants things to return to normal, the Turkish people to go about their everyday lives and have the threats of riots over. My friend, among thousands of others, wants those who caused this terror in Turkey to be brought to justice.
The news that we hear is not going to tell us stories such as this. The Turkish people are not willing to say how they actually feel and what they went through, and they have very good reason not to. While we can hope for the best, we must also get the truth out in order for the proper actions to be taken to help Turkey in the long run. We must show that we care so that we can help Turkey heal.
