attachment 1

1. I, Aydin Ozmen, am a citizen of Turkey with no other citizenship. I am Kurdish and my

religion is Alevism. I am seeking refuge in Canada because of the ongoing discrimination

I was experiencing in Turkey due to my identities as Kurdish and Alevi.

2. In Turkey, some people believe that Kurdish people are terrorists. If you vote for a

Kurdish party, you are labelled a terrorist. If you are Kurdish or are affiliated with

Kurdish people, you are discriminated against. For example, many employers will not

hire you if they hear a Kurdish/Eastern accent or review your documents. It is the same

when seeking housing: I had a difficult time finding a home to rent due to my accent. The

government actively discriminates against the Kurdish in Turkey. Many Kurdish events

have been banned, and Kurdish-language schools and cultural organizations forced to

shut down. Following the earthquake in 2023, the government provide some financial

support to all families affected however many Kurdish families did not receive this

support and when called were told it was up to the administration’s discretion as to who

would receive it. My wife and children, living in Gaziantep, were impacted by the

earthquake and did not receive the funds from the government that had been promised –

my father came to Gaziantep and took them back to his home in Adiyaman so they would

have shelter.

3. As an Alevi, I am also a religious minority in Turkey and face discrimination in this

regard as well. As an Alevi we are not free to practice our religion, others consider it

blasphemy. We are socially shunned: others will not share tables with us, if we touch

something they will not touch it, will not eat with us, and so on. I am also discriminated

against when it comes to employment due to my being an Alevi. I am affiliated with the

Page 1 of 5
 attachment 1

Pir Sultan Cultural Association, an association for Alevism. When the National

Employment Services would enter my identification, all of my affiliations would be

shown, including with the Pir Sultan Cultural Association, thus showing I am an Alevi.

Recently the Turkish government appointed imams to schools – all of whom are Sunni.

Religious courses are taught in school, and with these Sunni imams, teachings include

that Alevi is not Islam, that Alevis are infidels, and prayers must be performed as per

Sunni customs which differ from Alevi. I am particularly worried about how this will

impact my children. In fact, my oldest son was studying mechanics however when it

became known he is Alevi he was not allowed to continue his studies.

4. I had been living in Gaziantep, Turkey for several years with my wife and children.

Securing employment was an ongoing struggle due to my Eastern accent – employers

would tell me they would call me back, only for me to never hear from them again. I was

able to secure employment at Ozmen Hafriyat, a business that installed gas pipelines, and

worked with them for approximately two years. While working on installing a pipeline in

Gaziantep in mid 2022 my co-workers and I, along with our equipment, were attacked by

a group of men on three different occasions, ultimately forcing us to stop our work. They

told us “We don’t want you to work in our neighbourhood – go back to where you came

from.” I am uncertain if they had political affiliations. During one of the attacks, one of

the men stabbed me in my waist and hand for which I sought medical care (thankfully the

wounds were not deep, and I did not require stitches or further procedures). My co-

workers and I, also victims of the attacks, sought police support and filed reports. From

the group that attacked us, three were taken by the police including the man who had

Page 2 of 5
 attachment 1

stabbed me: that man was prisoned for 3 to 4 months and then was released.

5. Filing reports brought on more trouble though – I, along with my co-workers who also

submitted reports, received threats from those affiliated with the men of the group, telling

us not to submit evidence or else we would be further harmed. The threats resulted in my

co-workers dropping charges, many of whom had moved back to their home towns yet

still continued to receive threats. One of them had moved back to his home town of Urfa

and told me he could not bear the threats and worry of further harm any longer, thus

decided to drop the charges. (I can probably get a letter from him for evidence – low

literacy though so uncertain though).

6. The brother of the man who had been sentenced threatened to harm me if I submitted

further evidence – I chose to continue with my submission of evidence in pursuit of

justice to what I had experienced. The threats continued so I told the brother to meet me

at the police station to talk. There he told me to drop the charges against his brother or

else things would worsen for me. I ignored him and proceeded with the charges.

However, when the man who stabbed me was released only 3-4 months later, I became

worried he would shoot me or attack me more brutally – he had already stabbed me, after

all, and now he might kill me. I made the difficult decision to leave Turkey not long after

he was released to protect my life and leave behind the discrimination I was experiencing

in Turkey. I left behind my wife and children in Turkey, as I only had enough finances to

cover my costs.

Page 3 of 5
 attachment 1

7. My travels began October 8, 2022 when I left Turkey, and arrived to Mexico on the same

day. I continued to the United States, arriving on October 9, 2022, where I was detained

for approximately 40 days immediately upon my arrival – detention was a very difficult

experience. Upon my release I continued to Canada and arrived in Quebec on November

17, 2022. I had taken this travel route because I was advised it would be difficult to get a

Canadian VISA and I was fearful of what would happen if I remained in Turkey. I had

done some research on the internet and had found that Canada was a safer, more

welcoming country and so was hopeful to seek refuge in Canada and be able to live my

life peace.

8. Upon my arrival in Canada I submitted documents for my claim through the online portal

and was informed I would receive an email with next steps. I did not receive such email

so went to the Canada Border Services Agency on Airport Road where I provided another

email address and eventually received the email. I had an IRCC Interview and completed

my medical exam in November 2022 and did not hear about further next steps, thus my

submission of documents at this time.

9. Nowhere in Turkey is safe for me, as Kurdish people and those belonging to Alevism are

discriminated against throughout the country. Government policies continue to

discriminate against Alevis and Kurdish people, we are socially excluded, face difficulty

securing employment, events are banned, our language and religious practices frowned

upon with attempts to erase it. The physical attack I experienced shortly before my arrival

to Canada further solidified for me the discrimination and hatred towards those with my

Page 4 of 5
 attachment 1

identity. I am hopeful for a peaceful life in Canada where I can meaningfully contribute

and participate in society without fear of being persecuted.

Page 5 of 5