Mehmet Sıraç Bilgin (1944–2015) was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

poet and politician. He was a prisoner several times until he went into exile to Sweden where he worked as an X-ray technician. He was a descendant of a leader of the Sheikh Said rebellion.

Early life and education

He was born in 1944 in Syria where his father Abdulhamit was in exile. At the age of six he entered one year into an Armenian school in Syria. The next year, after an amnesty allowed it, the family returned to Turkey where they settled in

Bingöl Bingöl (; ; ), known as Çapakçur before 1944, is a city in Turkey. It is the seat of Bingöl Province and Bingöl District,Ankara University Ankara University () is a public university, public research university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the History of the Republic of Turkey, formation of the Turkish republ ...

but after two months of studies, he was expelled for political activities. In 1966 he successfully appealed his expulsion, but was not allowed to follow up on his studies. In 1979 he graduated as a medic from the

Dicle University Dicle University (, ) is a public university located in Diyarbakır, Turkey, and one of the largest higher education institution. Vocational schools are located in Ergani, Çermik, Çüngüş, Bismil, and Silvan, Turkey, Silvan History Dicle Uni ...

in Diyarbakir. He established himself as a doctor in Bingöl until he left to exile to Sweden in the 1980s.

Political career

His political views were influenced by the Barzanis of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

he was affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Turkey (TKDP). He was imprisoned after the Military coups in 1971 and

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

but both times released after some time. In 2009, Turkey issued arrest warrants against more than twenty Members of the Kurdish Parliament in Exile, among which also former politicians of the Turkish Democracy Party (DEP) figured. In 2014 Turkey granted a non-arrest assurance in case the defendants would return to Turkey within three months.

Literary career and exile

While in exile he took up writing and became a contributor to the pro-Kurdish newspaper ''

Özgür Gündem ''Özgür Gündem'' (Turkish language, Turkish for "Free Agenda") was an Istanbul-based daily Turkish language newspaper, mainly read by Kurds. Launched in May 1992, the newspaper was known for its extensive reporting on the Kurdish-Turkish confl ...

''. In addition, he published several books and worked as an X-ray technician at the

Uppsala University Hospital Uppsala University Hospital ('', often referred to colloquially as "Akademiska" or "Ackis"'') in Uppsala, Sweden, is a teaching hospital for the Uppsala University Faculty of Medicine and the Nursing School. Uppsala University Hospital is owned and ...

Death and aftermath

He died in 2015 in the

, Sweden. Despite this,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

demanded his extradition from Sweden, after the country made a NATO accession bid in May 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirac Bilgin, Mehmet 1944 births 2015 deaths Kurdish poets Kurdish journalists Kurdish politicians Ankara University Faculty of Medicine alumni Dicle University alumni Turkish prisoners and detainees Turkish Kurdish people Turkish emigrants to Sweden