Worlds First Mathematics Village Troubled
He has said that it would become a "beacon of hope" for the science of mathematics.
The project, which has been obstructed by bureaucratic hurdles from central government, needs to be supported by democratic organisations, political parties and NGOs in Kuşadası [the nearby seaside resort] and Selçuk.
Free summer schools
The village is being founded on an area of about 9,200 square metres. Already, higher level mathematics lessons are being taught in the village for free.
For the last three years, the Turkish Mathematics Association has been organising mathematics summer schools in Antalya and Bodrum. Next summer, it will continue with a completed Mathematics Village.
Next summer, internationally renowned mathematicians will be invited to come to the village.
Bureaucratic hurdles
The Mathematics village is being founded around 500 metres outside of the village of Sirince and near a forest. Bureaucrats are continuing to obstruct the process.
Gendarmerie and forest teams have said that the village would have to be controlled by hygiene inspectors and suggested that the village organisers join a forest camp nearby.
Building on the land of the foundation, Prof. Nesin said that they received the permit recently. Because the permits were late, two buildings were sealed up.
Ali Nesin said, "We do not want to go to [the forest camp]. We will stay in tents until we can enter the sealed buildings on our land which we have title deeds for. What is the meaning of putting so much pressure on us? Do not act as if we are occupying someone else's land. We know our legal rights."
There has also been disagreement between the Forest Directorate and Ali Nesin concerning the borders of the foundation land. A forest officer said, "You cannot put tents etc in the forest surrounding you."
Nesin insists that the tents have been put up on the land of the foundation. Should there be further insistence on the dangers of forest fires, some of the tents could be moved from near the pine trees to an area with olive trees. It has been decided to move two tents, which the forest official had pointed out as being on the "forest border".
Answering other allegations, Nesin told the Kusadasi Demokrat newspaper: "We do not use illegally tapped electricity, we are registered; however, we use building site electricity. We are trying to finish the buildings on our own land quickly while also trying to organise permits and other procedures in time. We are not building on anyone else's land."
"A beacon of hope"
"These and other hurdles will be forgotten in time. But we are creating a mathematics village which will we internationally known and will be a beacon of hope for the science of mathematics."
The mathematics summer schools of the last three years have been supported by the prestigious TÜBITAK (Turkey Foundation for Scientific and Technological Research) and the Association of Turkish Mathematicians.
Support in Kusadasi
In the nearby seaside resort of Kusadasi, the Kusadasi Support Initiative for the Sirince Mathematics Village has composed a letter of support for the Nesin Foundation which is trying to found the village.
The supporters will visit the Mathematics village on 11 August (Saturday).
The letter reads as follows:
"We were excited when we heard that the world's first Mathematics Village was being founded in Şirine (Selçuk, province of Izmir).
This extraordinary effort, still in its early stages, is being supported internationally, by international mathematicians and others. This makes us happy.
Already, PhD and Masters students are teaching as unpaid volunteers in the village; it is clear that from next year on, the village will help to advertise our region.
We have been saddened by the fact that the village, in which internationally renowned mathematicians will teach and will be able to develop projects, has been faced by bureaucratic hurdles from the national government.
These hurdles are meaningless and unfortunate for our country, considering that this project will benefit our country and our region.
We believe that, had this project been developed in another country, the state would have supported it and would have ensured that there were no legal problems.
We the undersigned individuals and organisations support the Mathematics Village which has been founded by the Nesin Foundation in Sirince. [...]
We strongly support the Sirince Mathematics Village and the founder, Professor Ali Nesin." (SE/NZ/AG)
* Part of this article is based on an article in the Kuşadası Demkrat newspaper