September 12 (2010)

• 49%
• 2010
• Documentary
• Özlem Sulak

Almost 30 years ago, on September 12, 1980, thanks to a right-wing military coup d'état, General Kenan Evren took power in Turkey, established martial law, abolished political parties and unions and abolished democratic rights. Coming after nearly a decade of social and political conflicts often bordering on civil war, the coup unleashed a wave of repression against working class and left-wing opponents of the Turkish regime. The coup d'état not only destroyed the entire opposition in Turkey and suppressed the basic liberties but also led to more than 20 years of silence. There would be absolutely no talk of political opinion for the generations to come. September 12 follows the encounters of seventeen people on the days leading up to the coup. The personal accounts range from the supporters to the opponents of the putsch, allowing them to express their opinion about what happened. Up to the present, life in Turkey is always measured by "before" and "after" the coup when talking about politics, music, art or literature.