Former rectors: We support Prof. Ergüder’s statements

* Photo: Can Candan

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A group of former elected university rectors and Council of Higher Education (YÖK) members have released a joint statement of solidarity and support for Prof. Üstün Ergüder, a former Boğaziçi University rector who was targeted by Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu over ongoing protests against Prof. Melih Bulu, the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University.

"We are against all types of actions aimed at eliminating university autonomy and academic freedoms, we support our dear friend Prof. Üstün Ergüder's statements in this context," the statement has read.

The former rectors and YÖK members have said:

"According to the 1st paragraph of our Constitution's Article 26, 'Everyone has the right to express and disseminate his/her thoughts and opinions by speech, in writing or in pictures or through other media, individually or collectively. This freedom includes the liberty of receiving or imparting information or ideas without interference by official authorities.'

"We take it as a duty to announce it to the public that we condemn this unlawful, disrespectful and oppressive behavior aimed at silencing our friends and citizens who are exercising their freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the Constitution with the related article."

What happened?

Speaking during a program on pro-government A Haber news channel on February 20, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu made targeting remarks about the students who joined the protests against the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University and their families as well as arrested businessperson Osman Kavala, Boğaziçi academic and Kavala's spouse Ayşe Buğra and former Boğaziçi University rector Prof. Üstün Ergüder.

According to what Soylu said on TV, he called Ergüder and told him "to not get involved in this." Soylu then moved on to say:

"Üstün Ergüder is at the center of all these, he is involved in it. He writes articles to stir the pot, he provokes. He says, 'We taught the children the right thing, right?' Let him deny it, let him! Shame on him!

"It is the bottom line of immorality that an 80-year-old person raised with the bread of this country stirs up Boğaziçi University by faculty members. We do not and will not give credit to this."

Üstün Ergüder, a former rector of Boğaziçi University, also gave an interview to bianet Turkish amid Boğaziçi protests, underlining that "an institution cannot be called a university without academic freedom."

Signatories

• Ayhan Alkış - Former Rector of Yıldız Technical University, Former Chair of the Inter-university Board
• Ahmet Çakır - Vice Chair of Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Supervisory Board. and former rector of Haliç University
• Aytekin Berkman - Chair of YÖK Supervisory Board, Former Rector of Maltepe University
• Ali Sait Sevgener - Former Rector of Istanbul Ticaret and Haliç Universities
• Attila Sezgin - Former Rector of Izmir University of Economics, former member of YÖK
• Ayşe Semra Ülkü - Former Rector of Izmir Institute of Technology
• Bektaş Açıkgöz - Former Rector of Zonguldak Karaelmas University
• Cezmi Öncüer - Former Rector of Adnan Menderes University
• Engin Ataç - Former Rector of Anadolu University, former member of YÖK
• Ethem Ruhi Fığlalı - Former Rector of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University
• Ferit Bernay - Former Rector of Ondokuz Mayıs University
• Ferit Koçoğlu - Former Rector of Sivas Cumhuriyet University
• Fethi İdiman - Former Rector of 9 Eylül University
• Gülsün Sağlamer - Former Rector of Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
• Halil Güven - Former Rector of Cyprus Eastern Mediterranean and Bilgi Universities
• Hasan Kazdağlı - Former Rector of Denizli Pamukkale University
• İlter Turan - Former Rector of Bilgi University
• İsmail Tosun - Former Vice Chair of YÖK
• İsmet Vildan Alptekin - Former Rector of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Former Chair of the Inter-university Board
• Kemal Gürüz - Former Chair of YÖK
• M. Lütfü Çakmakçı - Former Rector of Süleyman Demirel University
• Mehmet Şahin - Former Rector of Kayseri Erciyes University
• Mustafa Yurtkuran - Former Rector of Bursa Uludag University
• Necat Akdeniz Akgün - Eskişehir Osman Gazi University, former rector
• Necdet Hocaoğlu - Former Rector of Balıkesir University
• Nusret Aras - Former Rector of Ankara University
• Osman İnci - Former Rector of Trakya University
• Ramazan Aydın - Former Rector of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University
• Ramazan Özen - Karaelmas Former Rector of Bülent Ecevit University
• Şener Oktik - Former Rector of Muğla University
• Sıddık Yarman - Former Rector of Işık University
• Süha Sevük - Former Rector of the Middle East Technical University (METU)
• Şan Öz Alp - Former Rector of Afyon Kocatepe and Cyprus International Universities
• Tahsin Nuri Durlu - Former Rector of Kırıkkale University
• Uğur Büyükburç - Former Rector of Harran University
• Uğur Oral - Former Rector of Mersin University
• Ülkü Bayındır - Former Rector of Ege University
• Yalçın Kekeç - Former Rector of Çukurova University

(DŞ/SD)