Ugur Yorulmaz

Support Turkish Conscientious Objectors

Demand an end to the punishment of Turkish conscientious objectors
A campaign by War Resisters' International

Testimony from Ugur Yorulmaz (2000)

Why can't I be a soldier?

Governments never care about the way I feel, think and live. It is the governmental approach that forces me to be one of those billions of men who should do nothing but obey. I am asked for governmental service as a soldier; I am required to learn how to use guns and forcibly defend the state, of which I am claimed to be a citizen; I am asked for unconditional obedience and even killing and being killed. My acceptance of this obligatory "military service" means my approval of this power elite regime for which I am not a decision maker but a subject. It means my whole-hearted guaranty that I will never make objections and I will not disturb "them" as long as I live. However, for me, intersocial domination, states and their imaginary boundaries are major obstacles on humanitarian advance; armies are nothing but organised violence institutions responsible for protecting governmental and capital interests.

I always solved my problems by detailed discussing, analysis and at worst by isolating the problem source. However, I have never used violence. I have always excluded myself from any form of hierarchy. I do not want to rule or be ruled anymore. I have always desired to live in a world where there are no classes, boundaries, states, and countries and where sharing outshadows exploitation. Current regime is not what I dream of, but it does not necessarily mean that I should accept your life style.

Your conscription for my military service means your call for my confidence in life, my dream for a free world and my hopes. All these belong to me and I will never give them to you. On grounds of these, I reject to complete military charge and serve for any states. I do not accept to make any legal defence in any suit to be brought against me due to my ideas and non-fulfilment of military charge; I call all people suffering from similar consequences for solidarity and nonviolent action.

Ugur Yorulmaz: My Background And The Period That brought Me To These Days:

I was born on May 22^nd in 1973 in Luleburgaz. I graduated from primary and secondary school in Tekirdag. I was sent to Naval High School which prepares students for the Turkish Naval Academy by my family because of their financial restrictions. I repeatedly told my family that I didn't want to become a soldier since the first days that I entered the school, but my request was refused. By the pressure of my family and my environment , I had to complete my study at that school and finally I graduated from the school in 1990. After the graduation, I was enrolled and forced to enter the Turkish Naval Academy which trains officers for the Turkish Naval Forces. After the first three months in Naval Academy, I decided to realize my dream of leaving this school. But there was no choice as "leaving the academy". The only way of leaving the academy was; the undiciplined behaviours, being responsible of crimes or failing in the classes. There was a rule of the school that the student who would be fired from the school should get 160 dicipline points and should get room jail punishment for 40 days. I met the management of the academy and expressed my desire of leaving the school and tried to explain that I couldn't become a soldier. But the school management didn't tolarate me and lengthened the period of being fired (4 months) and I was forced to obey all the military rules. However, I didn't see myself as a soldier so I didn't obey the rules. The management tried not to seed my faults altough I reported myself as guilty (wearing jacket with torn button, ignoring the commands, the faults that aren't considered as adequate for the civil life). ? increased my disobeidences. Moreover, the six students of the academy, decided to make themselves "thrown-out" from the academy. After that, the management realised the fact that there was a chain of reactions on the issue.

Consequently, after two short discipline meetings and a room jail for six days, I was expelled from the school. I never wanted to remember those days. Untill 1999, I've worked in various jobs. Some of them were very well-paid. (IT management, computer programming, MIS management..) during this period of 8-9 years, I tried to avoid from all official institutions, population countings, police, even the post offices. I didn't vote in order not to support this system. In order not to face problems with the army. I postponed my military obligation by attending Istanbul University- Computer Programming Branch- and later Y?ld?z Technical University- Transportation Branch. Actually, I didn't want to learn anything in these universities so I didn't join the lessons. Because of my age, I came across to the military obligation again. I realised that I had been escaping from an instution of the government by using another instution of the same government, so in 1999 I decided to reply the obligatories of the government by only being myself and I wanted to join antimilitarist movement as a memeber of IAMI (Istanbul Antimilitarist Initiative)

Ugur Yorulmaz