CCS wrote to the president of Turkey, Abdullah Güll, asking him to intervene in the case of Dr. Büsra Ersanlı, a professor who is also a member of a political party that is allegedly linked by association to the Kurdistan Workers Party, a banned party in Turkey. Dr. Ersanli denies this allegation. Absent any additional or contrary information, the facts appear to indicate that Professor Ersanlı was arrested and charged as a result of nonviolent expression of her political views.
Read our letter:
President Abdullah Gül
Office of the President
Cumhurbaskanligi Kosku
Cankaya
Ankara, Turkey
November 30, 2011
Your Excellency:
We are an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world. We write in concern about Dr. Büsra Ersanlı.
Dr. Ersanlı is a professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations at Marmara University in Istanbul. According to Scholars at Risk, an independent human rights organization affiliated with New York University, she also serves as a member of the constitutional commission of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), a political party. We understand from Scholars at Risk that Professor Ersanlı, arrested on October 28, 2011, was charged with “membership in an illegal organization” under Turkey’s Anti Terror Law. This charge appears to reflect the authorities’ allegation that the BDP and Dr. Erslani are indirectly and by association linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and designated a terrorist organization. We understand that Dr. Erslani disavows this allegation.
Absent any additional or contrary information, the facts as described appear to indicate that Professor Ersanlı was arrested and charged as a result of nonviolent expression of political views and association with others, conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory, and the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is party.
We therefore respectfully urge you to intervene in Professor Ersanlı’s case and to ensure that it proceeds in a manner consistent with Turkey’s obligations under internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial. We also urge you to ensure Professor Ersanlı’s well being in custody, including access to counsel and family, as well as reasonable opportunity for release on bail, as we understand that Professor Ersanlı poses no threat of violence warranting pre-trial detention.
Sincerely,
Eugene ChudnovskyAlexander Greer
Joel Lebowitz
Walter Reich
Paul Plotz
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Copies to:
Mr. Sadullah Ergin
Minister of Justice
06669 Kizilay
Ankara, Turkey
The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton
United States Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520, USA
The Honorable Namik Tan
Ambassador of Turkey to the US
2525 Mass. Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
The Honorable Francis J. Ricciardone
American Embassy Ankara
110 Ataturk Bld.
Kavaklieeder, 06100
Ankara, Turkey
The Honorable Navanethem Pillay
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10012, USA
Fax: +1 212 995 4402
Email: scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu