ICTA is deeply concerned about Turkey’s treatment of academic
Around fifty researchers and students from ICTA-UAB have signed a statement in support of the academics in Turkey being investigated for expressing their views on the conflict in the Kurdish region of the country. The Statement is being signed by hundreds of academics from around the world.
"We, academics and affiliated academics of ICTA-UAB would like to express our concern for the academics in Turkey being investigated for expressing their views, under the petition “We Will not be a Party to this Crime”, on the conflict in the South-East region. ICTA-UAB would also like to underline that, irrespective of the content of the petition; freedom of expression is a core university value and a sine qua non of democratic societies. We therefore urge the government of Turkey to fully respect the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint as well as the Higher Education Council (YÖK) to withdraw its request to the rectors to open up an inquiry on the signatories."
A Statement by International Academics
January 22, 2016
As academics and university administrators who are committed to seeking knowledge and to the free dissemination of information, we are appalled by the repression, persecution and prosecution of Turkish scholars for simply expressing their concern about the growing violence within the country and specifically, the state aggression and illegal treatment of citizens in the Kurdish region of the country.
The call of our colleagues in Turkey for their government to respect national and international laws and reopen negotiations with the representatives of Turkey's Kurdish population (as well as to bring in independent observers to protect the human rights of the citizens of Turkey and investigate military operations in civilian areas) is a message of peace; it is intended to protect human life and property and to prevent further escalation of a conflict that threatens not only Turkey but the entire region.
We, the undersigned, extend our solidarity with our colleagues in Turkey and affirm their right, as citizens, seekers of knowledge, and persons of good conscience, to speak truth to power. We ask that the government of Turkey:
· Cease the intimidation, persecution and prosecution of all those who have publicly expressed opposition to the current government's policies, including the signatories of the petition, “ We Will Not Be Party To This Crime”;
· Reorganize the Council of Higher Education, a creature of the 1980s military regime, in order to enable it to operate as a truly autonomous organization to coordinate research and facilitate the functions of all institutions of higher education, beyond the control of political parties and the government;
· Respect the country’s commitment to rule of law, democracy, and human rights, especially the freedoms of thought, expression and the press, which are protected in the Constitution of Turkey and the international treaties to which Turkey has been a party.
· Restart the “peace process” with Kurdish representatives that the government aborted for political motives on the eve of the June 2015 election.
Signatories
Alevgül ¿orman, Post-doc researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Almudena Garcia Sastre, PhD candidate, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Amelie Huber, Ph.D. Candiate, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Andrea Cardoso, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos, Dr., ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Camilo Martinez I., PhD Candidate, University Autonomus of Barcelona
Christos Zografos, Senior Researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Claudio Cattaneo, Post-doc researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Daniela Del Bene, Ph.D candidate, ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Barcelona)
Dídac Jordà Capdevila, PhD Candidate in Environmental Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Diego Andreucci, Researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Erik Gomez-Baggethun, Associate Researcher, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
Esteve Corbera, Researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Federico Demaria, Researcher, ICTA UAB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Filka Sekulova, ICTA, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Francesc Baró, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
François Diaz-Maurin, Post-doc Researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Giacomo D'alisa, Research Fellow, ICTA - Autonomous University of Barcelona
Giada Trezzi, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Research Professor, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Irmak Ertör, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Isabel Ruiz Mallén, Associate Researcher, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
Isabelle Anguelovski, Senior Researcher & Principal Investigator, ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Joan Martinez-Alier, Professor , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Johannes Langemeyer, Researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Jordina Belmonte, Director, ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Louis Lemkow Zetterling, Professor ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Lucía Gallardo, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Luis Miguel Campos Rodrigues, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Mar Cartró, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Mar Grau, PhD candidate, ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona
María Heras, postdoc researcher, ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Mariana Walter, Post-doc Researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Marien González, PhD candidate, ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Marina Di Masso, PhD, Post-doc researcher, ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Marina Utges, Project Manager, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Mario Giampietro, ICREA Research Professor, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Marta Conde, Research Associate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Mine Lemberg, Visiting fellow, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Montserrat Roca Marti, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Panagiota Kotsila, Post-doc Researcher, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Petra Benyei, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Raúl Vuelsco fernandez, Phd candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Rita Calvário, PhD researcher and Marie Curie fellow, ICTA-Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Rosaria Chifari, Ph.D. Candidate, Research on Integrated Assessment, Autonomous Univ. of Barcelona
Sam Bliss, Fulbright candidate Fellow, ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Samuele Lo Piano, PostDoc Researcher, ICTA - Autonomous University of Barcelona
Santiago Gorostiza Langa, PhD candidate, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Sara Mingorría Martínez, PhD candidate, ICTA-UAB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona