Investigation into 91 Academics from İstanbul, Yıldız Technical Universities

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İstanbul University (İÜ)  and Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) have launched investigation into the 91 academic members signing the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime”.

In Istanbul University, investigation has been launched into 53 academic members and six postgraduate students some of whom have not been notified yet and in Yıldız Technical University, into 32 academic members.

Istanbul and Yıldız Technical Universities are the first state universities to launch an investigation against its academic members over the declaration.

İÜ: Declaration accusing the state of conducting massacre

The notification sent to the academics justified the investigation as “signing the declaration issued on January 11, 2016 accusing the state of conducting a massacre and asserting the following claims:

“...The Republic of Turkey has attacked [...] with heavy weapons and equipment that would only be mobilized in wartime and […] violates all rights and liberties.

“...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 […] and 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  […] and 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”.

YTÜ demands dismissal from public service

In the notification sent to the academics concerning the investigation launched, the academics have been claimed to have “publicly insulted the Turkish Nation, The state of the Republic of Turkey, Grand National Assembly of Turkey, The Government of the Turkish Republic and the judicial organs of the state as well as propagandized for the terrorist organization”.

The academics have been accused of “disgraceful actions not complying with their status of public officials”, “actions disgracing the state abroad”.

“The retribution required for both accusations according to the Disciplinary Regulations for Administratives, Academic Members and Public Officials in Higher Education Institutions is to discharge from public service”. (BK/DG)