[This statement was released on 11 September 2015. To sign this statement, click here.]
We, the undersigned academics, are deeply concerned about the escalating violence after the general elections held on 7 June in Turkey. After these elections, AKP, the previously ruling party, has lost its absolute majority status and yet appears to act as if its status has not changed, undermining the electoral votes. The transition government put together with the AKP-appointed ministers has embarked upon a military and political campaign within and outside of Turkey. The horrific suicide bombing in Suruç, Turkey, appears to be used as grounds for the justification of the recent military operations. On 20 July 2015, a suicide bombing in Suruç has killed more than thirty young activists who were prepared to cross the Syrian border and to bring support and toys for the Kurdish youth and children in Kobane, the Syrian town attacked by ISIS. The request placed at the Turkish Parliament to investigate the Suruç bombing has been blocked by the AKP votes with the support of the nationalist Turkist party MHP. Instead, under the pretext of Suruç-related security matters, state officials started military and political operations that target dissident groups—mainly the Kurds. The escalation of violence—an outcome of these operations—propels Turkey into a climate of war. As it becomes difficult to keep an account of the death toll, we consider it our professional and humanitarian duty to call for the end of these operations and hereby urge our colleagues to join us in our plea for a political resolution.
State of exception is declared in different places in Turkey, and implemented by the state security forces. These implementations cause grave concerns, such as the case of Cizre, a district of the province Şırnak in Turkey, close to the Syrian border. The curfew in Cizre and its reported brutality attest to the gravity of the situation. We are dismayed by the reports of security forces shooting and killing civilians, including infants and children, their obstructing medical aid and assistance, blocking necessary health care and services for the injured and ill, as well as denying proper burial for the dead. Delayed burials reportedly resulted in people struggling to preserve the body of their loved ones for several days in order to prevent body decay in the extreme heat of Cizre (40C/104F). In addition, reported food and water shortage, blocked communication means with Cizre have been unsettling to say the least. Ministers and deputies from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi, HDP) accompanied by representatives of various NGOs were not allowed to enter the district of Cizre. Further, the blocking of landlines and GSM operators, bans on the internet and the extreme measures of pressure implemented on journalists (i.e., imprisonment, prosecution, or, for foreign journalists, deportation) severely restrict means to access information as to what is happening in Cizre. Whereas information is limited, there are serious concerns about the scale of a massacre endured by its inhabitants.
State and media elites appear to target the representatives of a legitimately elected political party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and to criminalize them (i.e., as the responsible party for the escalating violence). Despite HDP representatives’ repeated calls for peace and the immediate cessation of fire, a discriminatory and brutal hate speech has dominated the political discourses about them. A new tide of violence and synchronized pogroms targeting Kurdish citizens, their homes and workplaces, as well as the Peoples’ Democratic Party headquarters and officials has swept the country. While security forces appear disconcertingly reluctant and inadequate to prevent such systematic attacks, state authorities appear to justify these inadmissible acts of violence as an emotional outburst..
We, the undersigned academics, call on the people of Turkey to take a stance in favor of peace, justice and co-existence. At a time when the right to life of the Kurdish citizens is under threat within the borders of Turkey, we call on all the political authorities to stand up for political resolution, justice and peace instead of arms and death.
[List currently in progress]
1. Ali Metin Büyükkarakaya, Doctor, Hacettepe University, Turkey
2. Alp Eren Topal, Doctoral Student, Bilkent University, Turkey
3. Amir Hassanpour, Associate Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
4. Asiye Kumru, Professor, Özyeğin University, Turkey
5. Aslı Iğsız, Assistant Professor, New York University, USA
6. Aslı Zengin, Instructor, Brandeis University, USA
7. Ayça Çubukçu, Assistant Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
8. Ayhan Yalçınkaya, Professor, Ankara University, Turkey
9. Aysun Gezen, Ankara University, Turkey
10. Ayşe Esra Dursun, Doctoral Student, University of Vienna, Austria
11. Ayşe Parla, Associate Professor, Sabancı University, Turkey
12. Ayşecan Terzioğlu, Assistant Professor, Koç University, Turkey
13. Ayşe Gül Altınay, Associate Professor, Sabancı University, Turkey
14. Bahar Şahin Fırat, Doctoral Student, Bosphorus University, Turkey
15. Bahar Şimşek, Doctoral Student, Ankara University, Turkey
16. Banu Bargu, Associate Professor, New School for Social Research, USA
17. Baki Tezcan, Associate Professor, University of California, Davis, USA
18. Başak Ertür, Doctor, Birbeck, University of London, UK
19. Behrooz Chamanara, Doctoral Student, Georg-August University
20. Begüm Uzun, Doctoral Student, Toronto University, Canada
21. Berra Topçu, Doctoral Student, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
22. Berrak Karahoda, Instructor, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
23. Buket Türkmen, Associate Professor, Galatasaray University, Turkey
24. Burak Köse, Doctoral Student, York University, Canada
25. Bülent Bilmez, Associate Professor, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
26. Canan Acar, Doctoral Student, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada
27. Cenk Özbay, Assistant Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
28. Ceren Gamze Yaşar, Doctoral Student, Middle East Technical University, Turkey & University of Pennsylvania, USA
29. Cihan Artunç, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, USA
30. Cihat Arınç, Doctoral Student, Goldsmiths, London University, UK
31. Cuma Çiçek, Assistant Professor, Mardin Artuklu University, Turkey
32. Çağlar Dölek, Doctoral Student, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
33. Çağrı Yoltar, Doctoral Student, Duke University, USA
34. Çimen Günay-Erkol, Assistant Professor, Özyeğin University, Turkey
35. Deniz Kimyon, Doctoral Student, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
36. Deniz Yonucu, Associate Professor, Forum Transregionale Studien, Germany
37. Deniz Zorlu, Doctoral Student, Queen’s University, Canada
38. Dikmen Bezmez, Assistant Professor, Koç University, Turkey
39. Dilan Okçuoglu, Doctoral Student, Queen’s University, Canada
40. Dilan Yıldırım, Doctoral Student, Harvard University, USA
41. Gülşah Kurt, Assistant Professor, Kadir Has University, Turkey
42. Güliz Akkaymak, Doctoral Student, Western University, Canada
43. Elçin Arabacı, Doctoral Student, Georgetown University, USA
44. Evren Savcı, Instructor, San Fransisco State University, USA
45. Dilara Demir, Doctoral Student, Rutgers, New Jersey Eyalet University, USA
46. Diren Yeşil, Doctoral Student, Vechta University, Germany
47. Duygu Çelik, Doctoral Student, Istanbul University, Turkey
48. Ebru Yılmaz, Doctoral Student, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre, France
49. Eda Çakmakçı, Doctoral Student, Harvard University, USA
50. Edip Gölbaşı, Doctoral Student, Simon Fraser University
51. Emrah Altındiş, Doctor, Harvard University, USA
52. Elçin Aktoprak, Assistant Professor, Ankara University, Turkey
53. Eleanor Coghill, Substitute Professor, University of Konstanz, Germany
54. Elif Babül, Assistant Professor, Mount Holyoke College, USA
55. Emine Rezzan Karaman, Doctoral Student, UCLA, USA
56. Emrah Yıldız, Doctoral Student, Harvard University, USA
57. Ergin Öpengin, Postdoctoral Student, Bamberg University, Germany
58. Faruk Birtek, Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
59. Fatma Cizrelioğlu Karaer, Teaching Assistant, Marmara University, Turkey
60. Ferdan Ergut, Associate Professor, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
61. Ferhat Taylan, Instructor, Paris Ouest Nanterre University, France
62. Fırat Bozçalı, Doctoral Student, Stanford University, USA
63. Filiz Kahraman, Doctoral Student, University of Washington, USA
64. Funda Üstek, Postdoctoral Researcher, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
65. G. Ceren Deniz, Doctoral Student, Max Planck Institute, Germany
66. Gevher Gökçe Acar, Assistant Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
67. Gizem Tongo, Doctoral Student, Oxford University, UK
68. Gül Özyeğin, Associate Professor, College of William and Mary, USA
69. Günder Varinlioğlu, Assistant Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
70. Gülay Türkmen-Dervişoglu, Doctoral Student, Yale University, USA
71. Hakan Sandal, Doctoral Student, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
72. Hikmet Kocamaner, Postdoctoral Student, Brandeis University, USA
73. Hülya Dinçer, Research Assistant, Marmara University, Turkey
74. Ilgın Erdem, Instructor, CUNY John Jay College, USA
75. Işık Barış Fidaner, Doctoral Student, Bosphorus University, Turkey
76. İclal Ayşe Küçükkırca, Assistant Professor, Mardin Artuklu University, Turkey
77. İmge Oranlı, Doctor, Independent Scholar, USA
78. İrem Kök, Doctoral Student, Oxford University, UK
79. Jakub Galeziowski, Doctoral Student, University of Warsaw, Poland
80. John William Day, Instructor, Bilkent University, Turkey
81. Kelda Jamison, Doctoral Student, University of Chicago, USA
82. Kemal Dinç, Instructor, Rotterdam Music Conservatory, Netherlands
83. Lara Fresko, Doctoral Student, Cornell University, USA
84. Levent Köker, Professor, Near East University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
85. Lewis Keir Johnson, Associate Professor, Bahçeşehir University, Turkey
86. Leyla Neyzi, Professor, Sabancı University, Turkey
87. Mehmet Odekon, Professor, Skidmore College, USA
88. Meltem Gürle, Assistant Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
89. Mete Atatüre, Professor, Cambridge University, UK
90. Mine Yıldırım, Doctoral Student, New School for Social Research, USA
91. Mine Gencel Bek, Professorö Ankara University, Turkey
92. Mithat Ishakoğlu, Doctoral Student, University of Exeter, UK
93. Murat C. Yıldız, Postdoctoral Student, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, USA
94. Mustafa Polat, Master Student, Istanbul University, Turkey
95. Nazan Bedirhanoğlu, Research assistant, Ankara University, Turkey
96. Nazand Begirkani, Research Fellow, University of Bristol, UK
97. Neslihan Şen, Doctoral Student, University of Illinois-Chicago, USA
98. Nicholas Glastonbury, Doctoral Student, CUNY Graduate Center, USA
99. Nilay Özlü, Doctoral Student, Bosphorus University, Turkey
100. Nisa Göksel, Doctoral Student, University of Northwestern, USA
101. Nora Tataryan, Doctoral Student, University of Toronto, Canada
102. Nur Betül Çelik, Professor, Ankara University, Turkey
103. Nurseli Yeşim Sünbüloğlu, Doctoral Student, Sussex University, UK
104. Nükhet Sirman, Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
105. Nuri Korhan, Research Assistant, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
106. Ozan Kamiloğlu, Doctoral Student, Birkbeck University, UK
107. Ömer Faruk Yekdeş, Doctoral Student, Bosphorus University, Turkey
108. Ömer Özcan, Doctoral Student, Texas University, Austin, USA
109. Ömer Turan, Assistant Professor, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
110. Özde Çeliktemel-Thomen, Doctoral Student, University College London, UK
111. Özge Ejder, Assistant Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
112. Özge Ertem, Doctor, European University Institute Alumni, Italy
113. Özlem Aslan, Doctoral Student, Toronto University, Canada
114. Özlem Güçlü, Assistant Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University
115. Pınar Dönmez, Instructor, Central European University, Hungary
116. Pınar Kemerli, Postdoctoral Research Student, Washington and Lee University, USA
117. Rıza Dervişoğlu, Postdoctoral Research Student, Radboud University, Netherlands
118. Saadet Özen, Doctoral student, Bosphorus University, Turkey
119. Salih Can Açıksöz, Assistant Professor, Arizona University, USA
120. Seçil Dağtaş, Assistant Professor, Waterloo University, Canada
121. Seçil Uluışık, Doctoral Student, Arizona University, USA
122. Seda Altuğ, Assistant Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
123. Seda Saluk, Doctoral Student, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
124. Selen Artan, Doctoral Student, CUNY, USA
125. Selin Altunkaynak, Doctoral Student, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain
126. Selim Karlıtekin, Doctoral Student, Columbia University, USA
127. Selim S. Kuru, Associate Professor, University of Washington, USA
128. Selmin Kara, Assistant Professor, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada
129. Serkan Delice, Instructor, University of the Arts London, UK
130. Serra Hakyemez, Doctoral Student, Johns Hopkins University, US
131. Sertaç Sehlikoğlu, Instructor, University of Cambridge, UK
132. Sevcan Tiftik, Instructor, Bilkent University, Turkey
133. Sevi Bayraktar, Doctoral Student, California University, Los Angeles, USA
134. Sibel Yardımcı, Associate Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
135. Sinem Adar, Doctor, Gottingen University, Germany
136. Sümeyye Kocaman, Doctoral Student, University of Oxford, UK
137. T. Deniz Erkmen, Assistant Professor, Özyeğin University, Turkey
138. Tessa Yuditha, Research Assistant, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
139. Tuğçe Ellialtı-Köse, Doctoral Student, University of Pennsylvania, US
140. Uğur Yağan, Research Assistant, Ankara University, Turkey
141. Umut Tümay Aslan, Associate Professor, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
142. Umut Yıldırım, Instructor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
143. Ülker Sözen, Research Assistant, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey
144. Ümit Taner, Doctoral Student, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US
145. Veli Yadırgı, Doctor, SOAS, University of London, UK
146. Welat Zeydanlıoğlu, Doctor, Kurdish Studies Journal, UK
147. Wendy Hamelink, Research Fellow, Leiden University, Netherlands
148. Yael-Navaro Yashin, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge, UK
149. Yalçın Özkan, Doctoral Student, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US
150. Yahya M. Madra, Associate Professor, Bosphorus University, Turkey
151. Yan Overfield Shaw, Instructor, Bilkent University, Turkey
152. Yeşim Yasin, Assistant Professor, Acıbadem University, Turkey
153. Yiğitcan Eryaman, Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, US
154. Zafer Yılmaz, Doctor, Ankara University, Turkey
155. Zerrin Özlem Biner, Research Assistant, University of Cambridge, UK
156. Zeynep Atalay, Assistant Professor, St. Mary’s College of California, US
157. Zeynep Kıvılcım, Associate Professor, Istanbul University, Turkey
158. Zeynep Korkman, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, US