Following the failed military coup, the Turkish Council of Higher Education is seeking the resignation of 1,577 university deans, while the Ministry of National Education has suspended over 15,000 teachers and staff from their jobs, and announced the closure of 626 institutions and the revocation of the license of 21,000 teachers working in private institutions. Academics who are conducting research abroad must return to Turkey and those in the country have been banned from traveling abroad. Four university rectors have been suspended and over 100 academics have been fired in the last two days.
The European Political Science Association considers these measures as unjustifiable attacks on civil liberties, democracy and academic freedom. They are a serious attempt to undermine the independence of scientific research in Turkey.
We call upon the democratic institutions in Turkey to respect civic liberties, protect democracy, repeal these measures directed against scientists and academic freedom, restore the independence of academic institutions and respect the freedom of scholarly research of our colleagues working in Turkey.
The Council of the European Political Science Association
Sources
- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/turkey-extends-purge-to-universities-asking-all-deans-to-go
- http://en.trend.az/world/turkey/2560115.html
- http://www.zeit.de/politik/2016-07/tuerkei-recep-tayyip-erdogan-akademiker-ausland-protest
- http://www.euronews.com/2016/07/19/turkey-cancels-licenses-of-21000-private-teachers-removes-15000-state-teachers
- https://www.rt.com/news/352218-turkey-academics-ban-travel/
- http://www.euronews.com/2016/07/18/turkey-hunts-for-coup-plotters-but-arrested-ex-air-force-chief-denies-being
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3695232/Turkey-prepared-list-3-000-names-arrest-coup-country-carries-raids-against-suspected-plotters.html
- https://www.rt.com/news/352247-turkey-coup-crackdown-erdogan/
- https://www.rt.com/news/352218-turkey-academics-ban-travel/