[The following statement was issued by a group of scholars of Turkish Studies and Ottoman History on 20 January 2016 in regards to concerns over academic freedoms and freedom of expression in Turkey.]

Statement For Academic Freedom In Turkey

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Davutoğlu,

Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey

We, the undersigned professors of Turkish Studies and Ottoman History working at various universities throughout the world, from the USA to Asia, declare that we are profoundly concerned about the diminishing academic freedoms in Turkey.  On 10 January 2016, 1128 academics from Turkey and 356 from abroad signed a petition calling the Republic of Turkey to end ongoing violence and curfews affecting 1.5 million predominantly Kurdish citizens of Turkey in seven cities in the eastern provinces and to return to negotiations with the Kurdish movement. We consider this petition within the framework of freedom of expression and consider the criminalization of our fellow academics unacceptable. We are deeply worried about the campaigns by the political authorities accusing our colleagues of “treason” and “supporting terrorism” as well as investigations by the prosecutors and Turkish Higher Education Council (YÖK) against them. We, thereby, invite the Turkish political authorities, judiciary and YÖK to abide by the universal standards of academic freedom and freedom of expression. We also remind the Turkish authorities that Turkey is a signatory of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Based on these conventions and, and more importantly, the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, the state is required to protect freedom of thought, expression, association, and assembly. Thereby, we ask the authorities of the Republic of Turkey to respect academic freedom and freedom of expression.

Türkiye`de Akademik Özgürlük Bildirisi

Aşağıda imzası bulunan bizler, Amerika’dan Asya’ya, dünyanın farklı üniversitelerinde Türkiye ve Osmanlı Tarihi üzerine çalışmalar yürüten öğretim üyeleri olarak Türkiye’de akademik özgürlüklerin daralmasından derin kaygı duymaktayız. Bilindiği üzere, 10 Ocak 2016’da, Türkiye’den 1128 ve ülke dışından 356 akademisyen bir bildiri imzaladılar. Bu bildiri, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devleti’ni süregelen şiddete son vermeye, yedi ilde çoğunluğu Kürt olan 1.5 milyon vatandaşı etkileyen sokağa çıkma yasaklarını kaldırmaya ve Kürt hareketiyle tekrar müzakerelere başlamaya davet etti. Biz bu bildiriyi ifade özgürlüğü çerçevesinde değerlendiriyor ve meslektaşlarımızın bu bildiriden dolayı suçlanmasını kabul etmiyoruz. Bizler, siyasi makamların meslektaşlarımızı “ihanet” ve “terörizme destek”le suçlayan kampanyalar yürütmesinden ve adli mercilerin ve Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu’nun (YÖK) söz konusu öğretim üyeleri hakkında soruşturmalar açmasından büyük endişe duyuyoruz. Türkiye’deki siyasi ve yargı makamlarını ve YÖK’ü evrensel standartlar çerçevesinde akademik özgürlüğe ve düşünceyi ifade hürriyetine saygı duymaya davet ediyoruz. Ayrıca, Türkiye’nin Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi’ni, İnsan Hakları Evrensel Bildirgesi’ni, Kişisel ve Siyasal Haklar Uluslararası Sözleşmesi’ni ve Avrupa Güvenlik ve İşbirliği Teşkilatı Nihai Senedi’ni imzaladığını, bu antlaşmalar ve, daha önemlisi, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Anayasası’na göre, devletin, düşünce, ifade, dernek, ve toplanma özgürlüklerini korumakla yükümlü olduğunu hatırlatıyor, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti yetkililerinden akademik özgürlüğe ve ifade hürriyetine saygı duymasını bekliyoruz.

Signature list as of January 20, 2016

20 Ocak 2016 tarihiyle imzalayanların listesi

Prof. Dr. Daron Acemoglu – Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics, MIT, USA

Dr. Can Açıksöz – University of Arizona, USA

Dr. Iris Agmon – Ben Gurion University, Israel

Dr. Gabor J Agoston – Georgetown University, USA

Prof. Dr. Samim Akgonul – University of Strasbourg, France

Prof. Dr. Jun Akiba – Chiba University, Japan

Dr. Yigit Akin – Tulane University, USA

Dr. Karabekir Akkoyunlu – University of Graz, Austria

Prof. Dr. Virginia Aksan – McMaster University, Canada

Dr. Ayca Alemdaroglu – Associate Director of Keyman Modern Turkish Studies Program, Northwestern University, USA

Dr. Ece Algan – Director, Center for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, California State University at San Bernardino, USA

Prof. Dr. Guillermo Algaze – University of California, San Diego, USA

Prof. Walter Andrews – University of Washington, USA

Dr. Sedef Arat-Koc – Ryerson University, Canada

Dr. Febe Armanios – Middlebury College, USA

Dr. Tuna Artun – Rutgers University, USA

Dr. Senem Aslan – Bates College, USA

Dr. Nurcan Atalan – Skidmore College, USA

Dr. Sabri Ateş – Southern Methodist University, USA

Dr. Marc Aymes – CNRS, France

Dr. Kathryn Babayan – University of Michigan, USA

Prof. Dr. Marc Baer – London School of Economics, UK

Dr. Ulas Bagci – University of Central Florida, USA

Dr. Onur Bakiner – Seattle University, USA

Prof. Asli Bali – University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Prof. Dr. Karl K. Barbir - Siena College, USA

Dr. Sami Bargaoui – University of La Manouba, Tunisia

Dr. Betul Basaran – St. Mary’s College, USA

Prof. Dr. Shahzad Bashir – Stanford University, USA

Dr. Birol Başkan – Georgetown University, USA

Dr. Sahar Bazzaz – College of the Holy Cross, USA

Prof. Dr. Joel Beinin – Donald J. McLaclan Professor of History, Stanford University, USA

Dr. Ceren Belge – Concordia University, Canada

Prof. Faruk Bilici – Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, France

Dr. Patricia Blessing – Society of Architectural Historians, USA

Dr. Grigor Boykov – CRSA, University of Sofia, Bulgaria

Prof. Dr. Hamit Bozarslan – EHESS, France

Prof. Dr. Sibel Bozdogan – Harvard University, USA

Dr. Marcy Brink-Danan – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Prof. Dr. Petra de Bruijn – Leiden University, Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Palmira Brummett – Brown University, USA

Dr. Guy Burak – New York University, USA

Dr. Rebecca Bryant – London School of Economics, UK

Dr. Michelle Campos – University of Florida, USA

Dr. Lale Can – City University of New York, USA

Dr. Giancarlo Casale – University of Minnesota, USA

Dr. Sinem Casale – University of Minnesota, USA

Prof. Dr. Ekrem Causevic – University of Zagreb

Dr. Erdem Çıpa – University of Michigan, USA

Dr. Natalie Clayer – CNRS-EHESS, France

Prof. Dr. Juan Cole – University of Michigan, USA

Prof. Dr. Howard Crane – Ohio State University, USA

Dr. Robert Crews – Stanford University, USA

Dr. Ferenc Csirkés – Tübingen University, Germany

Prof. Dr. Jocelyne Dakhlia – EHESS, France

Dr. Rosito D’Amora – University del Salento, Italy

Emeritus Prof. Robert Dankoff – University of Chicago, USA

Prof. Dr. Linda T. Darling – University of Arizona, USA

Dr. Yorgos Dedes – School of Oriental and African Studies, UK

Emerita Professor Dr. Carol Delaney – Stanford University, USA

Prof. Dr. Devin DeWeese – Indiana University, USA

Emeritus Professor Dr. Arif Dirlik – University of Oregon, USA

Prof. Dr. Beshara Doumani - Joukowsky Family Distinguished Professor of Modern Middle East History, Brown University, USA

Dr. Markus Dressler – University of Bayreuth, Germany Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly -- Siena College, USA

Dr. Howard Eissenstat – St. Lawrence University, USA

Dr. Lerna Ekmecioglu – McMillan-Stewart Associate Professor of History, MIT, USA

Dr. Evrim Emir-Sayers – San Francisco State University, USA

Dr. Bogac Ergene - University of Vermont, USA

Prof. Carl Ernst – Kenan Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Dr. Sinem Eryilmaz, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Dr. Tolga Esmer – Central European University, Hungary

Dr. Kristin Fabbe – Harvard University, USA

Prof. Dr. Khaled Fahmy – Harvard University, USA and American University in Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Heather Ferguson – Claremont McKenna College, USA

Dr. Emine Fetvaci – Boston University, USA

Emeritus Professor Dr. Carter Findley – Humanities Distinguished Professor in History, Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Cornell Fleischer – Kanuni Suleyman Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies, University of Chicago, USA

Dr. Benoit Fliche – CNRS, France

Prof. Dr. Ben Fortna – University of Arizona, USA

Dr. Elizabeth Frierson – University of Cincinnati, USA

Prof. Nancy Gallagher – University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

Dr. Pascale Ghazaleh – The American University in Cairo, Egypt

Prof. Dr. Fatma Muge Gocek – University of Michigan, USA

Dr. Banu Gokariksel – University of North Carolina, USA

Emeritus Professor Dr. Peter B. Golden – Rutgers University, USA

Dr. Rachel Goshgarian – Lafayette College, USA

Prof. Dr. Rossitsa Gradeva – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and American University in Bulgaria 

Prof. Dr. Molly Greene – Princeton University, USA

Prof. Dr. Alexander H. de Groot – Leiden University, Netherlands

Dr. Mehmet Gurses – Florida Atlantic University, USA

Dr. Gottfried Hagen – University of Michigan, USA

Prof. Dr. Shirine Hamadeh – Rice University, USA

Prof. Dr. Jane Hathaway – Ohio State University, USA

Dr. Beatrice Hendrich – University of Cologne, Germany

Dr. David Henig – University of Kent, USA

Prof. Dr. Bernard Heyberger – Directeur d’études, EHESS, France

Prof. Dr. Colin Heywood – University of London, UK

Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Hurd – Northwestern University, USA

Dr. Asli Igsiz – New York University, USA

Prof. Dr. Colin Imber – University of Manchester, UK

Dr. Katharina Ivanyi – Columbia University, USA

Dr. Ralph Jaeckel – University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Prof. Dr. Cemal Kafadar – Vehbi Koç Professor of Turkish Studies, Harvard University, USA

Dr. Efthymia Kanner – University of Athens, Greece 

Dr. Burcu Karahan, Stanford University, USA

Dr. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump – The College of William and Mary, USA

Prof. Dr. Ahmet T. Karamustafa – Maryland University, USA

Prof. Dr. Hakan Karateke – University of Chicago, USA

Prof. Dr. Resat Kasaba – Stanley D. Golub Professor of International Studies, University of Washington, USA

Dr. Dimitris Kastritsis, St. Andrews University, UK

Dr. Zeynep Kaya – London School of Economics, UK

Dr. Hasan Kayali – University of California, San Diego, USA

Dr. Michael Kemper – University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dr. Zeynep Kezer – Newcastle University, UK

Prof. Dr. Dina Khoury – Elliot School of International Affairs and George Washington University, USA

Dr. Ilham Khuri-Makdisi – Northeastern University, USA

Prof. Dr. Hans-Lukas Kieser – University of New Castle, Australia

Dr. Ramazan Kilinc – University of Nebraska, USA

Dr. Mariya Kiprovska – CRSA, University of Sofia, Bulgaria

Dr. İpek Kocaomer Yosmaoğlu – Northwestern University, USA

Prof. Dr. Markus Koller – Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany

Prof. Dariusz Kolodiejczyk – University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland; Honorary Member of Turkish Historical Society (TTK)

Dr. Elias Kolovos – University of Crete, Greece

Dr. Zeynep Korkman – University of Arizona, USA

Prof. Dr. Yavuz Kose – University of Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Tijana Krstic – Central European University, Hungary

Dr. Harun Kucuk – University of Pennsylvania, USA

Dr. Paul Kubicek – Oakland University, USA 

Prof. Dr. Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Political Science and Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University, USA

Dr. Vjeran Kursar – University of Zagreb, Croatia

Dr. Ahmet Kuru – San Diego State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Selim Sirri Kuru – University of Washington, USA

Dr. Paul Levin – Stockholm University, Sweden

Prof. Dr. Mark Levine – University of California, Irvine, USA

Dr. Darina Martykánová – Universidad Autonóma de Madrid, Spain

Prof. Dr. Mark Mazower, Columbia University, USA

Dr. Morgan Y. Liu – Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Beatrice F. Manz – Professor of History, Tufts University, USA

Professor Lenore G. Martin – Emmanuel College and Harvard University, USA

Dr. Elise Massicard – Sciences-Po CERI, France

Dr. Adam Mestyan – Society of Fellows, Harvard University, USA

Prof. Dr. Laurent Mignon – Oxford University, UK

Dr. Alan Mikhail – Yale University, USA

Dr. Amy Mills – University of South Carolina, USA

Dr. Mostafa Minawi – Cornell University, USA

Prof. Dr. Timothy Mitchell – William B. Ransford Professor, Columbia University, USA

Dr. Yael Navaro – University of Cambridge, UK

Prof. Dr. Gülru Necipoğlu – Agha Khan Professor of Islamic Art, Harvard University, USA

Prof. Dr. Christoph K. Neumann – Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany

Dr. Vanessa Ogle – University of Pennsylvania, USA

Prof. Dr. Bernard O’Kane – American University in Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Kerem Oktem – University of Graz, Austria

Prof. Dr. Ozlem Onaran – Greenwich University, UK

Prof. Dr. Victor Ostapchuk – University of Toronto, Canada

Dr. M`hamed Oualdi – Princeton University, USA

Prof. Dr. Umut Ozkirimli – Lund University, Sweden

Dr. Hakan Ozoglu – University of Central Florida, USA

Dr. Esra Ozyurek – Chair for Contemporary Turkish Studies, London School of Economics, UK

Dr. Tatjana Paic-Vukic – The Oriental Collection of the Archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Croatia

Prof. Dr. Leslie Peirce – New York University, USA

Dr. Karen Pinto, Boise State University, USA

Dr. Oyku Potuoglu-Cook – University of California, Riverside, USA

Prof. Dr. Scott Redford, SOAS, UK

Dr. Andras Riedlmayer – Harvard University Libraries, USA

Prof. Dr. Aron Rodrigue – Charles Michael Professor in Jewish History and Culture, Stanford University, USA

Prof. Dr. Dani Rodrik – Harvard University, USA

Prof. Dr. Eugene Rogan – Director of the Middle East Center, Oxford University, UK

Dr. E. Natalie Rothman – University of Toronto, Canada

Dr. David Romano – Missouri State University, USA

Dr. Avi Rubin – Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Prof. Dr. Khaled El-Rouayheb – James Richard Jewett Professor of Arabic and of Islamic Intellectual History, Harvard University, USA.

Dr. Kim Rygial – Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

Dr. Hanan Sabea – American University in Cairo, Cairo

Dr. Dana Sajdi – Boston College, USA

Dr. Adam Sabra – University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

Dr. İbrahim Kaya Şahin – Indiana University Bloomington, USA

Dr. Christa Salamandra – City University of New York, USA

Dr. Ariel Salzmann – Queen`s University, Canada

Dr. Safa Saracoglu – Bloomsbury University, USA

Dr. Marinos Sariyannis – Institute for Mediterranean Studies/FORTH, Greece

Dr. Hakan Seckinelgin, London School of Economics, UK

Dr. David Selim Sayers – San Francisco State University, USA

Dr. Jan Schmidt – Leiden University, Netherlands

Dr. Kent Schull – SUNY, Binghamton, USA

Dr. Anna Secor – University of Kentucky, USA

Dr. Günter Seufert – German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Germany

Dr. Prakash Shahah – Queen Mary, University of London, UK

Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Shakman-Hurd – Northwestern University, USA

Prof. Dr. Wendy Shaw – Freie University, Germany.

Prof. Dr. Kim Shively – Kutztown University, USA

Prof. Dr. Kemal Silay – Indiana University, USA

Dr. Brian Silverstein – University of Arizona, USA

Prof. Dr. Amy Singer – Tel Aviv University, Israel

Prof. Dr. Radhika Singha – Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Dr. Mark L. Stein – Muhlenberg College, USA

Dr. Gerrit Steunebrink – Radboud University, Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Martin Strohmeier – University of Cyprus, Cyprus

Prof. Dr. Martin Stokes – King’s College, UK

Dr. Emmanuel Szurek – EHESS, France

Emeritus Professor Richard Tapper – University of London, UK

Dr. Eren Tasar – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA

Dr. Deniz Tat – Leiden University, Netherlands

Dr. Baki Tezcan – University of California, Davis, USA

Dr. Gunes Murat Tezcur – Jalal Talabany Chair for Kurdish Political Studies, University of Central Florida, USA

Dr. Nicholas Trépanier – University of Mississipi, USA

Dr. Cihan Tugal – University of California, Berkeley, USA

Prof. Dr. Berna Turam – Northeastern University, USA

Dr. Zeynep Turkyilmaz – Dartmouth College, USA

Prof. Dr. Masayuki Ueno, Osaka City University, Japan

Dr. Ebru Ustundag – Brock University, Canada

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Vatin – Collège de France, France

Dr. Ali Yaycioglu – Stanford University, USA

Dr. Eunjeong Yi – Seoul National University, Korea

Dr. Kadir Yildirim – Rice University, USA

Dr. Zeynep Yurekli – Oxford University, UK

Prof. Dr. Sabra J. Webber – Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Jenny White – Boston University, USA

Dr. Charles L. Wilkins – Wake Forest University, USA

Dr. Carole Woodall – University of Colorado, USA

Dr. Sara Nur Yildiz – St. Andrews University, UK

Prof. Dr. Gokce Yurdakul – Georg Simmel Professor of Comparative Studies on Diversity and Social Conflicts, Humboldt University, Germany

Dr. Konstantina Zanou – Columbia University, USA

Prof. Dr. Fariba Zarinebaf – Chair, Middle East and Islamic Studies Program, University of California, Riverside, USA

Prof. Dr. Dror Zeevi – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Prof. Dr. Madeline Zilfi – University of Maryland, College Park

Prof. Dr. Erik-Jan Zürcher – Leiden University, Netherlands