türkçe links to original Turkish article
(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 September 2023)
backstory see this TNT report for some initial
background and this instructive video about sexual
harassment in the workplace.
Don't believe everything you read in the newspapers.
Mesut Lizor, who was working as a dishwasher in an Istanbul hotel, sent
his latest novel, written in newspaper format, to the hotel's human
resources director Büşra Ü. intending to convey to her that "I'm a
dishwasher but I'm also a writer". However (!), Büşra Ü. filed a police
complaint about Lizor for sexual harassment.
Lizor studied philosophy at 9 Eylül University in Izmir and then returned
to Istanbul. While he was writing his first novel "Bir Balıkla Sahtekarca
Ilgilenmek" (Feigning Interest with a Fish), he worked as a watchman at
a construction site in Çatalca. Next, Lizor worked as a chess teacher at a
school but during the COVID pandemic he took a job as a dishwasher in
a hotel near his home in the Balat section of Istanbul. At this time he
wrote his novel "Yer Değiştirmek" (Changing Places) in newspaper
format.
On 4 July 2023, Büşra Ü. received a cargo package from Lizor, within
which was Lizor's latest novel and a note from him which read "as I
was going down that famous ramp in the garage I heard someone call
out "Mesut" and just then you came into my view. What happened
then Büşra? I wanted to give you my novel as a gift. I hope you'll like
it."
The fur started flying in the hotel because Büşra hanım didn't realize
the "newspaper clippings" in the package were actually Lizor's novel.
Lizor was fired and, according to him, threatened. Büşra hanım filed
a sexual harassment charge with the public prosecutor and asked the
family court to issue a two-month restraining order against Lizor.
Lizor explained to Hürriyet that "with good intentions, I just wanted
to tell her that I may be a dishwasher but I'm also a writer. As a
gesture, I sent her my novel. My words were misconstrued and my
life has been blackened. I've been forced to leave Balat where I've
lived for 13 years. Now I'm working on a relative's farm. The hotel
wanted me to forego my severance pay and Büşra even said to me
'if you give up your severance I'll retract my complaint.' I don't think
what I did was wrong but they fired me, insulted me and won't give
me my severance pay. Someone with a weak psychology would
probably commit suicide after all this but I wont' give up my rights!"
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