A former teacher who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after being dismissed from her job by a government decree following a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016 died on Wednesday in Ordu province, the TR724 news website reported.
Derya Çelik, 45, a mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago while under investigation for alleged links to the Gülen movement. Despite receiving treatment, the cancer eventually metastasized and spread to other parts of her body.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since corruption investigations revealed in 2013 implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan as well as members of his family and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began pursuing its followers. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following the abortive putsch in 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly denied involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Although the prosecutor found no legal grounds to pursue a case against her, Çelik was never reinstated to her job.
Çelik’s husband, who was tried on similar charges, was sentenced to more than six years in prison.
People who knew Çelik shared their condolences on social media and said the past eight years had been marked by a struggle for justice.
One social media account commemorated Çelik, saying she had endured immense hardship.
“Derya had been battling breast cancer for years, while also contending with the emotional toll of an investigation opened into her after the 2016 coup attempt. Despite the eventual dismissal of the case, the pressures, hardships and sense of isolation she faced left deep marks on her life. She had devoted years to her students, her profession and her work. But one morning, her life was turned upside down by an investigation launched without any concrete evidence. First, she was removed from her job. Then came the loss of her social ties, her dignity and her hopes for the future. She leaves behind two children, unfulfilled dreams and the lasting scars of the injustice she endured.”
Since the failed coup, a total of 705,172 people have been investigated on terrorism or coup-related charges due to their alleged links to the movement. There are currently 13,251 people in prison who are in pretrial detention or convicted of terrorism in Gülen-linked trials.
