Victims of a massive government-led purge in Turkey that has taken place in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in July 2016 have set up an online TV station on YouTube in a bid to raise awareness about their problems and get their jobs back.
More than 130,000 people have been removed from state jobs since the failed coup through government decrees, which are known as KHKs.
The name of the online TV station is KHK TV. The station’s editor-in-chief is Professor Haluk Savaş, who was also removed from his post and has been campaigning on social media for purge victims to be reinstated to their jobs.
The purged civil servants are accused of having links to terrorist organizations, namely the Gülen movement, which is branded as a terrorist organization by the Turkish government.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding the coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and labels it a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Among the broadcasting staff of KHK TV are a purged teacher, an aircraft engineer, two journalists and a judge.
In addition to losing their jobs, purge victims have been denied passports, and according to several reports have been struggling to find jobs as they were stigmatized by a broader smear campaign.