Solidarity with Turkish Academics

“We ask the state to put an end to violence inflicted against citizens right now, we as academics and researchers of this country declare that we won’t be a party to this crime and promise that we will sustain our stance in the presence of political parties, parliament and international public”.

Over 1,400 academics and researchers from Turkey and abroad have signed a statement titled “We will not be a party to this crime”.

A campaign has been launched by Academics for Peace by releasing a press statement held simultaneously in İstanbul and Ankara to contest ongoing state violence in Turkey.

1,128 academics from 89 universities in Turkey, and over 355 academics and researchers from abroad including figures such as Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Etienne Balibar and David Harvey have signed a text calling on the state of Turkey to end state violence and prepare negotiation conditions.

The petition is ongoing.

The full text of the petition (in English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Greek) is HERE

For international support, please send your signature, name of your university and your title to: info@barisicinakademisyenler.net

Further petitions have unfolded, including:

1. A letter of support for academics in the UK or with links to the UK, available HERE. The letter is to be sent to the UK national press on Monday 18th January, 10am. To sign, please email your title, name, and institutional affiliation to: ukacademicsforpeace@gmail.com;
2. Scholars associated with colleges and universities in the US have penned the following letter, available HERE. To sign, please email your title, name, and institutional affiliation to: academicsUS@gmail.com; and
3. Scholars associated with colleges and universities in Canada have penned the following letter, available HERE. To sign, please email your title, name, and institutional affiliation to: canadaacademicsforpeace@gmail.com; and
4. An international petition for UK, US, and Canadian academics in support of Academics for Peace, is available HERE.

On 18 January the European International Studies Association (EISA) released a Public Statement on the Persecution of Academics in Turkey.

On 21 January the International Studies Association (ISA) released a Public Statement Regarding the Persecution of Academics in Turkey.

There is also the 22 January British International Studies Association (BISA) Public Statement Regarding the Situation for Academics in Turkey.

The Political Studies Association has also written a letter on 26 January to the Council of Higher Education, Turkey (COHE) on the recent treatment of academics in Turkey who were threatened, detained and investigated for using their right to freedom of expression.

On 2 February the Council of the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEPE) also affirmed its profound concern about the intolerable decline of academic freedoms in Turkey and the discrimination of fellow academics.