Residing in Ortaköy Neighborhood, in Mardin's Artuklu district, southeast of Turkiye, the 50-year-old Şeyhmus Bağıs appeared as dead in population records for 14 years.

Bağis, who won the 20-year legal struggle he initiated to prove his existence, received his identity through the court, but the victimizations he experiences were not eliminated.

Bağis, who decided to walk to Ankara in order to draw attention to the victimizations he experience, spoke to ILKHA's correspondent, noted that his efforts to eliminate his victimhood were inconceivable and that he is walking to Ankara to seek justice and his right.

Bağis, who went to the Directorate of Population in order to extend his passport in 2002 while he was working as a trailer driver between Turkiye and Iraq, find out he was recorded dead in 1998 according to the population records.

Bağis then started a legal struggle to prove that he did not die, won the case by giving a conclusion in 2012. During the 10-years court process, Bağis encountered many problems, his passport and driver license were taken from him just because he was recorded dead so he could not do his profession without the driver license.

He lost his wife, his job, his house, his vehicle and his 2 children

Bağis sold his vehicle so that he could survive, then sold his house and began to live in a makeshift house.

His wife and his 2 children lost their lives just because Bağis could not benefit from health services.

"We've suffered a mistake for 20 years"

Bagis, who started walking through the historical Silk Road towards Ankara, said his 20-year life had been completely destroyed and his family had been victimized with him since he was shown dead in the population records.

"We've had a lot of trouble because of a population manager's fault. We have been suffering a mistake for 20 years. Wherever I applied to correct this mistake, all the doors closed at my face. I had a job, I had a car, I made freight transportation abroad and I made my family livelihoods," said Bağış.

Stating that the authorities took his driver license and passport, Bağış said he couldn’t work anymore. "I sold my vehicle, then I sold my house in order to feed my family. I couldn’t earn for 20 years for my family. I couldn’t send my children to schools."

"At the end of my legal struggle, they only gave me an ID card"

Bagis said that he lived without an identity card for 15 years and that during this time he had applied to legal remedies but only his identity had been given to him.

"During the process of the court, I lost my wife. They only gave me an ID card. What am I going to do with this ID card while I have lost my wife while we couldn’t benefit from health services," he asked.

Stating he couldn’t make a future for his children for himself, Bağış said: "I won all legal cases but at the end, they gave me just an ID card. They did nothing in order to relieve all these victimizations we went through."

"I am walking Ankara for justice, rights and law"

Bagis stated that his efforts for the elimination of the grievance had been inconclusive, therefore he walks Ankara, and that all he wants is justice. "I am walking Ankara to seek justice, right, and law," he added.

 ILKHA