Academicians Launch Campaign Against PM, University Presidents

Dozens of academicians from Middle East Technical University initiated a campaign to protest university presidents' joint declaration that held METU students responsible for the outrage during Göktürk 2 satellite launch ceremony on December 18. Campaign leaders said Tuesday that they already reached 4,000 signatures on the 2nd day of the campaign.

PM Erdogan's critical remarks that accused METU students for the outrage and defended police brutality also triggered several academicians in METU to launch the campaign with its slogan "Protect METU: Don't touch students".

The campaign declaration went as:

"I, aforementioned, condemn the police brutality during the students at METU during Göktürk 2 satellite launch ceremony and the non-objective media coverage related to the events on December 18.

I would like to address to officials here: The tear gas bombs casted by police fell onto my campus and stormed my university. The broken windows and damaged classrooms belong to my university. Detained and wounded students are my students.

My classes were cancelled due to police brutality. My labs got property damage, my cars were affected.

I know that if I don't raise my voice against the police brutality today, I will be responsible for what is going to happen in the future.

I know that if I don't express the fact that peaceful protests are a part of free speech environment, I won't be able to find the courage to confront anti-democratic pressures in the future.

I know that if I remain silent today, if I don't defend my democratic rights, these abuses will maintain and it will be too late for all of us." (BK/HK)