Dear Colleagues,
In the Kurdish region of Turkey, since 16 August 2015, there have been 58
officially confirmed, open-ended curfews in *19 districts* of *7 cities.
*Human
causalities increase day by day, hundreds of civilians lost their lives.
You can find more information about the situation in the following links.
1. Fact sheet by Human Rights Foundation of Turkey
http://en.tihv.org.tr/fact-sheet-on-declared-curfews-in-turkey-between-11-december-2015-8-january-2016/
2. Call by Amnesty International
http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/turkey-stop-imposing-arbitrary-restrictions-on-freedom-of-movement-ua-616
A group of academics launched a petition in Turkey, signed by 1128
academics in Turkey and supported by 356 international ones by January 10th.
The international supporters include David Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Etienne
Balibar, Erik Swyngedouw, Judith Butler and many others.
Hereby is the text for international support:
http://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/63
<http://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/63>
International supporters: http://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/64
Signatures from Turkey: http://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/62
And today, after a very brutal attack on tourists in İstanbul by the ISIS;
Turkish President Erdoğan made a defiant speech, mostly attacking on this
petition and those who signed it.
Hereby is the info by Guardian on this issue:
'In a typically defiant speech Erdoğan attacked foreign academics and
writers, including Noam Chomsky for criticism of his government.
He said: “Pick a side. You are either on the side of the Turkish
government, or you’re on the side of the terrorists'. (
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/12/istanbul-explosion-several-reported-killed-in-tourist-area-live-updates)
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/12/istanbul-explosion-several-reported-killed-in-tourist-area-live-updates>
Just 2 hours after this speech, Turkish Higher Education Council announced
that it would launch an investigation against those who signed in Turkey.
In this situation supporting the academics in Turkey is much more crucial.
I would like to ask you to sign this petition in order to show solidarity
and if it is possible to convey this message to your colleagues.
You can sign the petition by sending a mail (stating your name, position
and university) to* [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>*
Thank you very much for your interest.
Best regards,
Pinar Bedirhanoglu
Pınar Bedirhanoğlu
Associate Professor Dr.
Department of International Relations
Middle East Technical University
Ankara 06800, Turkey
Tel: +90 (0)312 2103092
Fax: +90 (0)312 2107983
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Academics for Peace
10.01.2016
*As academics and researchers of this country, we will not be a party to
this crime!*
The Turkish state has effectively condemned its citizens in Sur, Silvan,
Nusaybin, Cizre, Silopi, and many other towns and neighborhoods in the
Kurdish provinces to hunger through its use of curfews that have been
ongoing for weeks. It has attacked these settlements with heavy weapons and
equipment that would only be mobilized in wartime. As a result, the right
to life, liberty, and security, and in particular the prohibition of
torture and ill-treatment protected by the constitution and international
conventions have been violated.
This deliberate and planned massacre is in serious violation of Turkey’s
own laws and international treaties to which Turkey is a party. These
actions are in serious violation of international law.
We demand the state to abandon its deliberate massacre and deportation of
Kurdish and other peoples in the region. We also demand the state to lift
the curfew, punish those who are responsible for human rights violations,
and compensate those citizens who have experienced material and
psychological damage. For this purpose we demand that independent national
and international observers to be given access to the region and that they
be allowed to monitor and report on the incidents.
We demand the government to prepare the conditions for negotiations and
create a road map that would lead to a lasting peace which includes the
demands of the Kurdish political movement. We demand inclusion of
independent observers from broad sections of society in these negotiations.
We also declare our willingness to volunteer as observers. We oppose
suppression of any kind of the opposition.
We, as academics and researchers working on and/or in Turkey, declare that
we will not be a party to this massacre by remaining silent and demand an
immediate end to the violence perpetrated by the state. We will continue
advocacy with political parties, the parliament, and international public
opinion until our demands are met.
*For international support, please send your signature, name of your
university and your title to [log in to unmask]
......................................................................
> Academics: We will not be a Party to This Crime
> 1,128 academics from 89 universities in Turkey, and over 355 academics and
> researchers from abroad have signed a text calling on state of Turkey to
> end state violence and prepare negotiation conditions.
>
> http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/170978-academics-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime
>
>
> ?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 that 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
> the statement titled ?We will not be a party to this crime?.
>
> Academics for Peace which has initiated the campaign has shared their next
> steps and signees in the press statement held simultaneously in İstanbul
> and Ankara.
>
> 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
> state of Turkey to end state violence and prepare negotiation conditions.
>
> The petition is ongoing.
>
> As academics and researchers of this country, we will not be a party to
> this crime!
>
> "The Turkish state has effectively condemned its citizens in Sur, Silvan,
> Nusaybin, Cizre, Silopi, and many other towns and neighborhoods in the
> Kurdish provinces to hunger through its use of curfews that have been
> ongoing for weeks. It has attacked these settlements with heavy weapons
> and equipment that would only be mobilized in wartime. As a result, the
> right to life, liberty, and security, and in particular the prohibition of
> torture and ill-treatment protected by the constitution and international
> conventions have been violated.
>
> This deliberate and planned massacre is in serious violation of Turkey?s
> own laws and international treaties to which Turkey is a party. These
> actions are in serious violation of international law.
>
> We demand the state to abandon its deliberate massacre and deportation of
> Kurdish and other peoples in the region. We also demand the state to lift
> the curfew, punish those who are responsible for human rights violations,
> and compensate those citizens who have experienced material and
> psychological damage. For this purpose we demand that independent national
> and international observers to be given access to the region and that they
> be allowed to monitor and report on the incidents.
>
> We demand the government to prepare the conditions for negotiations and
> create a road map that would lead to a lasting peace which includes the
> demands of the Kurdish political movement. We demand inclusion of
> independent observers from broad sections of society in these
> negotiations. We also declare our willingness to volunteer as observers.
> We oppose suppression of any kind of the opposition.
>
> We, as academics and researchers working on and/or in Turkey, declare that
> we will not be a party to this massacre by remaining silent and demand an
> immediate end to the violence perpetrated by the state. We will continue
> advocacy with political parties, the parliament, and international public
> opinion until our demands are met". (BK/TK)
>
> * For international support, please send your signature, name of your
> university and your title to
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> .
>
> * Please click here <http://www.barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/63> for
> the full text of the petition.
>
>
> *****
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> Research Network of the European Sociological Association
> http://criticalpoliticaleconomy.net/
>
> To post to the mailinglist or change settings:
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>
> If replying, please do not reply to everybody. Similarly, please don't
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>
*****
This email came through the mailinglist of the Critical Political Economy Research Network of the European Sociological Association
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To post to the mailinglist or change settings:
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If replying, please do not reply to everybody. Similarly, please don't send everybody messages to the moderator. There is a confirmation-link function in operation to prevent this happening by mistake.
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