ACADEMIC FREEDOM

The state of emergency declared after the coup attempt on July 15 resulted in a purge in universities that has never been seen before in Turkey's recent history. The emergency decrees have been used for dismissing both experienced academics who carried out many researches in universities and young academics whose careers had just begun. However, despite everything that happened, some academics hold on to their profession, which they define as “reason for being”. In this regard, Kocaeli Solidarity Academy is a precursor and guiding initiative. Having completed its first term of “alternative education”, it has also the purpose of establishing an open and free school of life for people with a new two-tear program.

Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran filed a claim for compensation against President Erdoğan, because of his statements about the academics who signed the declaration titled as “We won't be accomplices to this crime”. Oran is one of the signees.

Sent to the court for arrest by the prosecutor yesterday, Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy and Muzaffer Kaya are arrested last night.

At ambassadors' conference, President Erdoğan targeted “peace declaration” signed by 1128 academics and said: “Pseudo-intellectuals, you are full of darkness.”We asked what these statements mean to Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Gençay Gürsoy, Erhan Keleşoğlu and Ohannes Kılıçdağı who are among the signatories of the declaration.

Interior Ministry permission has been imposed on any academic research on Syrian refugees to be carried out at universities. The Higher Education Council (YÖK) decision was taken upon the request of the Migration Administration Department of the Interior Ministry.