He began working at a Medical Center in Tecirli, Igdır. His second stop was OrhaneliState Hospital, Bursa. He was successful in the Expertise in Medical Science in 1995. He completed his expertise training in pulmonology at Süreyyapaşa Pulmonology Hospital. In 2005, he started working as a pulmonologist at Seka State Hospital, Kocaeli. He was suspended from public service due to one of the messages he shared on social media. During the State of Emergency, which was declared following the 15 July 2016, coup attempt in Turkey, he was purged from public service with a decree-law no. 679, dated 6 January 2017. He is also banned from leaving country. Thanks to his Member of Parliament status, he can now travel abroad. He was sentenced to 2,5 years prison, in February 2018, because of a tweet.
Other activities
He was active in the field of education between 2009 and 2015. He was the founding manager of a pre-school education institute. He was also the Kocaeli representative of an educational institution named Akil Oyunlari, which is focused on developing children's intelligence.
Between 2003 and 2007, he assumed the presidency of the Kocaeli Branch of Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed. At the local level in Kocaeli, he led various activities from freedom of expression to women's rights. He pioneered drafting reports and organizing petitions. He initiated the 'Freedom to headscarf' campaign and oversaw it for years. In 2007, the General Assembly of MAZLUMDER appointed him as the President at the national level. Despite the calls from the General Assembly to continue his function, Gergerlioglu decided to leave the presidency in 2009. He became the spokesperson of Kocaeli Peace Platform, which consisted of various NGOs that are active in Kocaeli, and the spokesperson of Rights and Justice Platform, which was founded in March 2017. He attended countless human rights events both in Turkey and abroad, and organized various human rights campaigns, including drafting reports on specific issues. Since 2007, he has been writing about national and global political issues in local, national and international newspapers and websites. He has given countless interviews on websites and makes podcasts on human rights violations. He makes weekly broadcasts on Periscope named 'OFG TV'. Gergerlioglu is a supporter of Kurdish rights. After Sur and Cizre operations, he and other human rights activists released a declaration criticizing excessive usage of force and human rights violations of security forces. In the aftermath of the 15 July 2016, coup attempt in Turkey, he has been mainly focused on the legal and social effects of the State of Emergency, particularly the decree-laws. He played the leading role in revealing torture cases and in bringing human rights tragedies to the public attention.
Examples of his activities
He was the head researcher of the field study on 'Ethnic and Religious Discrimination in Turkey.
Examples of his articles and interviews
'Turkey's political prisoners at grave risk from COVID-19', Washington Examiner.
His interview about the bill on execution of sentences in Turkey, Al Arabiya.
Political career
At the election of 24 June 2018, he was elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly from Kocaeli. His political party is the People's Democratic Party. He is a member of the Parliamentary Commission of Human Rights Inquiry. He draws attention to human rights violations and campaigns to improve the rights of Kurds, prisoners and people who have been purged after July 15, 2016 coup attempt. In January 2018, he signed a petition against Turkey's Operation Olive Branch against Afrin, Syria.
Honors and prizes
The Intellectual of the Year Award by Feta Initiative and Sakarya Voluntary Educators Association
Selected as the 'Person of the Year ' by the Ahval News
