Erdoğan Instructs, YÖK Takes Action

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The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has said, “What is necessary as to this statement will be done within the frame of law” as to statement titled “We will not be a party to this crime” signed by a group of academics from Turkey and around the world.

The text titled “We will not be a party to this crime” involving a call for bans and violence in Kurdish cities to end and that negotiation process begin has been signed by 1,128 academics from 89 universities in Turkey and over 355 foreign academics including the celebrated academics Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Etienne Balibar and David Harvey.

CLICK - ACADEMICS: WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO THIS CRIME

Erdoğan: You will whether side with the state or terrorists and terror organization

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his speech today (January 12) blaming the academics who signed the petition said, “A group of people calling themselves academics appears and talks against their state which defends their land against acts of terror organizations. [According to them] rights and liberties are being violated.

“Yes, rights and liberties of millions of our people living in the region are being violated because of the terror acts. It is the terror organization itself committing this violation. It is the terror organization that digs the streets and closes them with the ditches.

“You will whether side with the state or terrorists and terror organization. Anyone in our country or around the world discriminating people based on their beliefs, identities, speeches, origins supports terrorism”.

YÖK statement

YÖK in its written statement said as follows:

“The statement signed by a group of academics and defines the fight put up by our state against the terror lasting in the Southeast as ‘massacre and slaughter’ brings all academic community under suspicion. Occupation and status of ones who support terror doesn’t grant precedence to people in any country, supporting terror can in no way be taken lightly. This statement backing terrorism cannot be associated with academic independence. Ensuring security of our citizens is the most basic duty of state. What is necessary as to this statement will be done. We will meet with our university presidents and intercollegiate Council to discuss this issue”. (NV/TK)