POSTED BY MARTIN KICH
Members of “Academics for Peace” and Education and Science Workers Union (Eğitim-SEN) 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, Turkey
Administrative Aide, Ozel Kalem Mudurlugu Fax: ++90 312 403 62 82
Public Relations Department Fax: ++ 90 312 422 26 67
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı (President of Turkey)
İsmail Kahraman
Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Başkanı (President of the Turkish National Grand Assembly)
Bekir Bozdağ
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Adalet Bakanı (Justice Minister of the Republic of Turkey)
Yekta Saraç
Türkiye Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu (YÖK) Başkanı (President of the Council of Higher Education)
Serdar Kılıç
Turkish Ambassador to the United States
Fax: +1 202 612 67 44
embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr
İsmet 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
i think AMerican scholars should be writing to President Obama and Secretary Kerry. They are continuing to deal with the Turkish government as if nothing like this is happening. They are enabling this state terrorism and they should be held accountable for that.
AAUP again fail to recognise the power of democracy to deliver decision making in favour of citizens.
As Americans and as AAUP et al, there is a communication channel open … through elected representatives.
Democracy demands that citizens avail of that communications with power … Government and The Presidency to implement decision making for the American people.
When journalists were being arrested and media outlets shut down no outcry was heard from The EU or the USA. Now Turkey is on an escalating route of destroying a young democracy in that Country.
AAUP must organise politically and test the pen against the sword.
Where is that elusive fourth estate. AAUP might send out a search party and locate the herd media cowering in fear of their corporate masters. Journalists and Academics are under attack.
Writers must be relevant and words and language must be reclaimed from the Political Correct fanaticism of our era.
Leaders in Western democracies are required to speak and act for their citizens.
Words must have meaning and actions should reflect the will of the people.
Turkey and Guantanamo bear witness to that terrible destruction of Human Rights and the slow death of Democracy.
Satire
JEM
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