Discharged Academic Mehmet Fatih Traş Commits Suicide

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Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) Adana Department has announced that academic Mehmet Fatih Traş discharged from Çukurova University Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences Econometry Department in 2016 has committed suicide.
The union in its statement reported that the research assistant Mehmet Fatih Traş's term of office was not extended as he was a signatory of the declaration issued by the Academics for Peace.

"Traş had suffered a psychological trauma as he was not accepted by any other university and has ended his life", the union added.
Eğitim Sen Central Office also stated;

"Our member [Mehmet Fatih Traş] who completed his doctoral study on June 26, 2016 was discharged as soon as he received his title because he was a signatory . Furthermore, he was not appointed although his department had needed more academics and he was discharged. After his discharge, other lecturers in the department have stood by him and have helped him give courses in digital and agricultural economy.

"Yet those who considered being a signatory of the academics' peace declaration 'We will not be a party to this crime' and demanding peace a crime, have put pressure on Faculty Management Board and the Senate of the University and thus prevented him from offering those courses too and have cut any contacts of our member with the university. The applications he made to other universities have also been rejected as he was a peace declaration signatory".

312 academics discharged

On January 11, 2016, 1.128 academics from 89 universities in Turkey signed a peace declaration, the "We Will Not be Party to This Crime" petition by Academics For Peace urging the state to stop violence in the country's Southeast.

312 signatory academics have been discharged from their positions under Turkey's current State of Emergency.

43 academics were discharged from public service by the Statutory Decree No.672, issued on September 1, 2016, along with 24 others, dismissed by the Statutory Decree No.675 issued on October 25, 2016. 15 additional academics were discharged by the Statutory Decree No.677, issued on November 22, 2016, as well as 43 others who were dismissed by the Statutory Decree No.679, issued on January 6, 2017.

2 additional signees were discharged from public service as a result of Statutory Decrees No. 667 and 668, issued on July 12, 2016. Another signee was discharged from a ministerial position by Statutory Decree No. 673, issued on September 1, 2016.

184 signees were discharged from public service by the Statutory Decree No. 673, issued on February 7,2017. (NV/DG)