The academics who signed the Peace Petition prior to the coup attempt in Turkey have now been linked by the State with those who perpetrated the Coup. The signers noted they they had nothing to do with the coup, did not agree with it, did not participate in it and that their action well preceded the coup situation. Their petition was done in the open and sent to the authorities. It was not something that was handled in secret, nor did it have involvement with the coup. Currently, 44 signers of the Petition have been separated from their jobs at Turkish universities.
CCS has written to insist that these professors be reinstated in their previous positions and any that have been detained be either charged and afforded due process or be released. Academics worldwide are participating in the Call for Solidarity below in support of the Turkish academics.
Urgent Call for Solidarity!
Members of “Academics for Peace” and Education and Science Workers Union (EğitimSEN) have been removed from their positions in public higher education institutions permanently!
In January 2016, 2,218 scholars from Turkey signed a petition titled “We will not be a party to this crime,” also known as the Peace Petition. Since then the signatories (“Academics for Peace”) have been subject to heavy pressure and persecution. Hundreds of them have faced criminal and disciplinary investigations, custody, imprisonment, or violent threats. Several academics have been dismissed or suspended, some were forced to resign or leave the country.
Turkey experienced a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and the Turkish government holds the religious group led by the US resident cleric Fethullah Gülen responsible. After the coup attempt, the Government and university administrations have continued targeting the Academics for Peace with the pretext of purging Gülen affiliated individuals from public service.
The latest mass purge came late at night on Thursday, September 1, 2016 via a cabinet decree within the context of the state of emergency rule. More than 41 Peace Petition signatories were deemed “supporters of terrorism” and banned from public service, alongside more than 40,000 public service employees. Note that many of the signatories have already been under administrative investigations for signing the Peace Petition for months, without a conclusion. The dismissal of the signatories overnight with a fait accompli of a State of Emergency decree is a serious violation of their basic human right to fair trial and due process. Dismissed under the conditions of state of emergency, they will neither be able to appeal the decision nor work in public sector for a lifetime; their passports will also be revoked.
This latest attempt to purge Academics for Peace by linking them to coup plotters is outrageous and unacceptable. Government of Turkey is taking advantage of the State of Emergency rule to crack down all critical voices, including those who have no relation to the Gülen organization or the coup attempt. We urgently demand that our colleagues get reinstated to their positions and have their employee rights fully restored.
Please disseminate our call for solidarity in your networks. Ask your college, university, professional organization, or union to publish a statement in support of academics in Turkey, and send it to government and university officials in Turkey.
Academics for Peace
Contact Information for Your Reference:
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım
Office of Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, TurkeyAdministrative Aide, Ozel Kalem Mudurlugu Fax: ++90 312 403 62 82
Public Relations Department Fax: ++ 90 312 422 26 67
binali.yildirim@tbmm.gov.trRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı (President of Turkey)
cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.trİsmail Kahraman
Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Başkanı (President of the Turkish National Grand Assembly)
ismail.Kahraman@tbmm.gov.trBekir Bozdağ
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Adalet Bakanı (Justice Minister of the Republic of Turkey)
Bekir.Bozdag@tbmm.gov.tr
info@adalet.gov.trYekta Saraç
Türkiye Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu (YÖK) Başkanı (President of the Council of Higher Education)
cohe@yok.gov.tr
011 90 312 266 47 59Serdar Kılıç
Turkish Ambassador to the United States
Fax: +1 202 612 67 44
embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.trİsmet Yılmaz
Milli Eğitim Bakanı (Minister of National Education)
Atatürk Bulvarı No: 98 06650 Bakanlıklar Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 4188289, +90 (312) 417 70 27
ismet.yilmaz@tbmm.org.tr
Related Articles
- 2,346 academics dismissed from Turkish universities since July 15 (turkeypurge.com)
- More Than 2300 Turkish Academics Dismissed (insidehighered.com)
- Turkish Academicians Call for Solidarity Amid Post-Coup Attempt Witch Hunt (globalvoices.org)