Kansa Karis, a prominent figure in the 1990s, became known for her outspoken opinions on Islam in Turkey. Disturbing reports of violence, mass graves, and the exhumation of numerous bodies across the country marked this period.
Victims were discovered naked, bound, and sometimes buried alive or with broken bones, the result of heinous acts committed by an extremist Islamic group called Hezbollah. It is crucial to note that this group should not be confused with the Lebanese Hezbollah.
During this tragic era, responsibility for the abductions, violence, and killings pointed towards an Islamic militant group that aligned itself with the leftist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It was believed that this group received support from leftist factions within the Turkish government.
Turkey’s Hezbollah group targeted not only the PKK but also Muslim intellectuals, politicians, and authors who held more liberal views on Islam.
Kansa Karis, a victim of the ruthless killings perpetrated by Turkey’s Hezbollah group, has now become a symbol of resistance against President Tayyip Erdogan’s authoritarian government.
Interestingly, despite Erdogan openly supporting a Kurdish Islamist political party accused of having ties to Turkey’s Hezbollah, the media remains focused on Karis and similar stories.
The Free Cause Party, established in 2012 and backed by Erdogan’s party, secured four seats in Turkey’s recent parliamentary elections. This party has emerged as an essential ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Opposition parties criticize Erdogan for supporting and forming an alliance with the Free Cause Party, accusing them of having connections with Turkey’s Hezbollah. They even label the Free Cause Party as responsible for Karis’s murder.
While members of the Free Cause Party deny these allegations, stating that their party has no ties to any terrorist organization, some party members have faced legal action and imprisonment related to Hezbollah activities.
Kansa Karis was a courageous and resilient woman who expressed her ideas fearlessly. She was a mother of five and gained recognition for her liberal interpretation of Islam, advocating for gender equality and rational perspectives on the Quran.
Karis’s influence extended beyond her local community as she appeared on television programs, but this also made her a target for threats and accusations from the Turkish Hezbollah party.
In 2000, her body was found concealed in a basement. Berin Sonmez suggests that her murder resulted from her knowledge of the HazbAllah community and her ability to influence others with her ideologies.
The Free Cause Party, accused of being the political wing of Hezbollah, currently holds parliamentary seats and promotes a new constitution based on strict Islamic values while granting some rights to women.
Karis’s name continues to be invoked in parliamentary debates by the opposition, highlighting the significance of her story.
