Investigations, Universities’ Reactions against Academics

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The petition led by the Initiative of Academics for Peace, declaring the academics’ call on the state of Turkey to put an end to the violence and to prepare the conditions for the negotiations had been issued with the signature of 1,128 academics and researchers from 89 universities.

“The declarations titled ‘We will not be a party to this crime’ had been issued on January 11. Erdoğan had called the academics ‘crappy so-called intellectuals’ and Council of Higher Education (YÖK) had made the announcement ‘necessary action will be taken’”.

Following this, investigations have been launched against the academics and various universities have issued statements reacting against the declaration on their websites. In their statements, the emphasis made on “their support for the operations of the state” and regarding declaration as “support for terror” have come to the forefront. The universities’ reactions against the academics consist mainly of demanding resignations, launching investigations and making dissenting statements accusing the academics with treason and of being supporters of terror and separatists and inciting to terror.

The universities’ reactionary statements, investigations launched by Chief Prosecutions and the reception of the declaration are summed up as follows:  

Abant İzzet Baysal University (AİBÜ): Warrant issued for the investigation of three academics by the university who consequently were taken into custody on January 15.

Akdeniz University: The announcement has been made that the legal process would be launched concerning the academics upon instruction of YÖK.

Bahçeşehir University: The university has declared a statement dissenting the declarations of the academics.

Samsun 19 Mayıs University: İnvestigation has been launched by the university against six academic members.

Abdullah Gül University: The university’s rectorate has demanded Prof. Dr. Bülent Tanju’s resignation and announced legal action would be taken against him against whom a warrant of investigation had been issued by Kayseri Chief Prosecution.  

Bartın University: Asst. Prof. Dr. Hülya Doğan has been discharged from her position as the Chief of Anthropology Department over investigation order issued by Bartın Chief Prosecution.

Hacettepe University: The university has announced that the legal process had been launched against the academics.

Fırat University: Seven academic members of the university have filed a criminal complaint by Chief Prosecution against the academics who have signed the declaration.

Hakkari University: Ümran Roda Suvağcı serving at the university’s school of foreign languages has been taken into custody over within the investigation launched by the prosecution. She has been released following her testimony at the prosecution.

Pamukkale University: The Senate of the university has issued a statement condemning the academics fiercely and accusing them of being supporters of terror.

Çanakkale University: University’s Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Acer has issued a statement dissenting and condemning the declaration and accusing the academics of committing illegal violence under the name of freedom of expression.

Cumhuriyet University: Director of Institute of Medical Sciences has resigned following which Prof. Dr. Faruk Kocacık, Rector of the university has gone to Ankara to discuss the matter with YÖK. The legal department of the rectorate on the other hand, has launched an investigation against Çelikgöz.

Bülent Ecevit University: Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmut Özer has issued as the head of the Interuniversity Council (ÜKB) Directorate, its statement against the declaration noting that the declared stance absolutely did not present the point of view of the other over 150,000 academic members.

Erciyes University: The Senate of the university has dissented the declaration as a document of treason.

Yüzüncü Yıl University: The Senate of the university has issued a statement against the declaration calling it a “dark propaganda”.

Düzce University: The university has announced that investigation has been launched against Asst. Prof. Dr. Latife Akyüz who has been suspended for the time during the process. Düzce Chief Prosecution has launched an investigation into the professor and issued a warrant to take the academic to the police station.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University: The Senate of the university has issued a statement of condemnation and has characterized the petition as separational and supporting terror.  

Erzurum Atatürk University: The university has issued a statement of condemnation considering  the declaration a latent support of separatist traitors following which a group has raided Ramazan Kurt’s office, who had signed the declaration. Kurt has applied to Human Rights Association (İHD) noting that he had been receiving death threats.

Gaziantep University (GAÜN): University’s Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Coşkunhas announced that necessary legal action would be taken against the academic members.

Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University: University’s Rector Prof Dr. Mansur Harmandar has announced in his statement that disciplinary and criminal proceedings have been launched against the signees.

Adnan Menderes University: The university has declared total agreement with the statements of YÖK and the ÜKB on its website.

Yalova University: University’s Rector has issued a dissenting statement noting that the declaration did not represent the stance of the whole community of academics and declared total agreement with the statement of the ÜKB.

Hitit University: The Rectorate of the university has declared condemnation of all sorts of statements aiming at disturbing the stability.

Muş Alparslan University: University’s Rector Prof Dr. Fethi Ahmet Polat has criticized the declaration and the dissenting statement of the ÜKB has been adopted on the university’s website.

Tunceli University: The university has launched investigation into its seven academic members signing the declaration.

Kocaeli University: The university has issued a dissenting statement condemning the declaration and has announced that administrative investigation has been launched into the academic members.

Kırıkkale University: The university has issued a dissenting statement and announced that legal action has been initiated against Asst. Prof. Dr. Fuat Özdinç who has signed the declaration.  

Arel University: The university has suspended nine academic members signing the declaration.

Giresun University: The university has launched an investigation into the academic member signing the declaration who has consequently been suspended.

Nişantaşı University: Levent Uysal, Chairperson of the University's Board of Trustees has called on the academic members signing the declaration to resign. 

Uludağ University: Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ulcay has announced the dissenting statement condemning the declaration decided by the Senate of the university with unanimity. The three academic members who have signed the declaration were taken into custody on January 15.

Mersin University: The Rectorship of the university has reportedly announced that investigation has been launched into 20 academics yet the academics have reported that they have not received a notification yet.

Batman University: The university has reportedly launched an inspection regarding the five academics signing the declaration.

Çukurova University: The university launched an investigation into the academic members Asst. Prof. Dr. Taylan Koç from Faculty of Law Public Law Department and Asst. Prof. Dr. Esengül Ayyıldız from Faculty of Communication Department for Communication Sciences on January 15. Koç has reported of having received no notification yet.

Konya Selçuk University: On January 15, the Rectorship of the university launched an investigation into Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nezir Akyeşilmen from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences International Relations Department, who has pulled back the signature over following the declaration being issued.

Trakya University: The Rectorship of the university launched an investigation on January 15, into two academic members and one postgraduate student. On January 14, Firdevs Selvili, one of the academic members submitted a petition to the Rectorate and drawn back her signature before investigation launched.

Eskişehir Osmangazi University: On January 15, the Rectorship of the university launched an investigation into four academic members on grounds of discharging from public service among who Asst. Prof. Dr. Burcu Toğral has been discharged from her position as ESOGU International Relations Coordinator.

Anadolu University: Investigation has been launched into the 15 academic members from the university who have signed the declaration.

Gazi University: The office doors of two academic members;  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kemal İnal and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Yarar have been marked with a red cross on January 15 and banners signed by “Gazi Communication [Faculty] Nationalists” calling the two academics “PKK supporters” following which İnal has drawn back his signature from the petition.

Marmara University: The university has issued a statement asserting the declaration signed by the academics did not base upon any scientific facts and was prejudiced and subjective.

Bilgi University: Rıfat Sarıcaoğlu; Chairperson of the university’s Board of Trustees and Chairperson of the Private Universities’ Union, has noted that the declaration had been inopportune and that the academic members who had signed it, would have to bear the consequences.

İstanbul Commerce University: The university has launched a disciplinary investigation into Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Yenigün and has suspended him for the time during the investigation.

29 Mayıs University: The university has terminated the contracts of two academic members signing the declaration.

(BK/DG)