Hafsa Girdap was on a summer vacation with her son in Florida when a coup to overthrow the Erdogan regime began in Turkey. Afraid to go back home, she witnessed from afar as hundreds of journalists, judges and prosecutors were jailed. Turkey, a Middle Eastern country and American ally, has seen a continued assault on its nation’s institutions. Hafsa shares her story and thoughts on what hope Turkey has left for saving its democracy.

From June 30 to July 6, Set Them Free will host a photo exhibition “What if You Were in My Shoes” at the Milton library through partnership with the Atlantic Institute. The exhibition, whose art director is Emin Demiral, aims to raise awareness on the tragic forced-migration stories from Turkey. More than 50 photos, of which the background stories are written by formerly detained women, are displayed along with an introductory video.