Urgent Call, today, January 15, 2016
Dear friends and colleagues,
This is an urgent call for solidarity. The Istanbul Prosecutor has initiated investigations against 1128 academics throughout Turkey for signing a petition against the state’s “anti-terror” operations in the Kurdish provinces.
As many of you might have heard, the Turkish state with its draconian army and police army has been forcing a siege and countless curfews in cities in Southeastern Turkey. Around 600 civilians have been murdered since summer.
Academics for Peace issued the following declaration on Jan. 10:
In a speech made on Jan. 12, President Erdogan targeted not only academics but anyone who supported them as well. The Higher Education Board, a decadent residue of 1980 coup d'Etat, immediately stated that it was going to do “whatever necessary” to punish the academics. A witch-hunt has ensued and now we hear that scores of academics are being forced to resign and/or are taken under custody throughout the country.
The legal charges against the signatories of the petition range from “demeaning the state” to “propaganda for a terrorist organization.”
WE ARE IN URGENT NEED OF SUPPORT FROM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CIRCLES.
The Middle Eastern Studies Association, for instance, has sent the following letter to President Erdogan:
https://www.facebook.com/barisicinakademisyenler/posts/969499219797425
The following petition to support the academics has also been initiated:
For other instances of support within Turkey by journalists, artists, associations and unions, cf.:
http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/171097-academics-for-peace-we-stand-by-our-signatures
In solidarity,
Academics for Peace
Nouvelle pétition en Turquie
Bildiri metni
Biz aşağıda imzası olan akademisyenler, fikir ve ifade özgürlüğü ilkesine bağlıyız ve bu ilkenin akademik yaşamın temel unsuru olduğuna inanıyoruz. Bu temelde, ülkedeki çatışma ortamıyla ilgili kişisel değerlendirmelerimizden bağımsız olarak, siyasi iradenin ve YÖK’ün çok sayıda üniversite mensubunun imzaladığı “Bu suça ortak olmayacağız” başlıklı bildiriye karşı gösterdiği tepkiyi yanlış ve kaygı verici buluyoruz.
İfade özgürlüğü olmadan demokrasi olmaz. Üniversite ve akademisyenin görevi akıl yürütme ve vicdan muhakemesi sonunda vardığı fikirleri toplumuyla paylaşmaktır. Fikrin eleştirilmesi demokrasinin, fikri ifade edenin cezalandırılması ise otoriterliğin niteliğidir. Akademisyenlerin ülke sorunlarıyla ilgili dile getirdikleri görüşlerinin siyasi irade tarafından cezalandırılmaya çalışılması, akademik özgürlüklere darbedir. Böyle darbeler herşeyden önce toplumsal gelişmeyi durdurur.
Ülke demokrasisine verilecek en büyük zarar, fikri söylemek değil, fikri ifade ettirmemektir.
Une pétition a été lancée en Allemagne.
https://www.change.org/p/hochschulangeh%C3%B6rige-an-deutschen-hochschulen-keine-repression-f%C3%BCr-die-akademiker-des-friedensaufrufes-in-der-t%C3%BCrkei?recruiter=32641539&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive
