Osman Unalan

Based on true stories of those persecuted by the current regime in Turkey, this documentary showcases people from different communities who take the risk of illegally crossing the Maritsa river at Turkey&apos;s Greek border that leads ...

Prince Mathews Kocheethra

Crossing Maritsa

MY DEBUT

IT WAS EXCITING AND AN HONOR TO PRODUCE THIS DOCUMENTARY WITH A GREAT TEAM. IT HAS A TOUCHING STORY THAT TELLS US ABOUT WHY AND HOW PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR BELOVED COUNTRIES.. YOU WILL BE MOVED WHEN YOU WATCH IT..

Based on true stories of those persecuted by the current regime in Turkey, this documentary showcases people from different communities who take the risk of illegally crossing the Maritsa river at Turkey's Greek border that leads them to a dangerous journey.

The documentary explains how people of Turkey are taking risks to cross Maritsa river to escape from their fearful life in their own country to have a better life elsewhere. It explores the facts and reasons why people are endangering their lives to cross Maritsa on overcrowded boats, arranged by human smugglers. It also touches on the violations of human rights, freedom of expression, media and religion by the current Turkish government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While focusing on Turkish government's persecutions on Gulen movement's followers, after a failed coup attempt in July 2016, the documentary also showcases about the difficult situations of other dissident people in Turkey, including Kurdish and Alevi people.

The documentary also touches on how important are the refugee protection policies of international organizations such as the UN, and a fully functional democratic country like Canada, in order to save the lives of innocent masses being persecuted. It is also important to note here that most refugees or immigrants who were able to reach Canada are largely educated and skilled people who add a lot of value to Canada, which has a working refugee system.

Turkey is going through a painful process that alienates hundreds of thousands of its own citizens in their own country, especially during the last 5 years under the current Erdogan government. Throughout in Turkey's recent history, citizens from Armenian, Kurdish, Alevi communities and non-Muslim groups were victims of government persecution.

The most recent victims of government persecution in Turkey were followers of Gulen movement, a civil society movement based on universal moral values and advocating human rights, access to education, tolerance and peace, inspired by the religious teachings of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic preacher who has lived in the United States since 1999. The movement was considered as one of the most moderate Islamic movements of our time.

Currently, around 500,000 people are being investigated, close to 96,885 were arrested and over 150,000 were dismissed from government jobs due to their links with Gulen movement. Among them, 6,021 academics, 4,463 judges and prosecutors, 24,544 police officers and 7,267 military personnel. Government also closed 189 media outlets, 3,003 schools, dormitories and universities and jailed 319 journalists since the coup attempt in 2016. Many people who had ties with Gulen movement, either having a job at their institutions or simply being a sympathizer of the movement, were labelled as "terrorists" by the Turkish government.

Despite Fethullah Gulen rejected his and his movement's involvement in the failed coup in 2016 summer and pond to his call continued to arrest ordinary citizens including teachers, university students, retired seniors, house makers and many others, for having ties with the movement and taking part in the failed coup.

The documentary shows how those people were left in an isolated and hopeless situation in Turkey. So they had no option but to choose to cross Maritsa illegally endangering their lives.

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Crossing Maritsa

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