By Brittani Howell
Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East
ANKARA, Turkey – On Friday, Turkish authorities briefly detained 27 scholars who were among more than 1,100 academics to sign a petition urging for an end to the military campaign against the Kurdish militants. The scholars were reported to be released Friday evening, according to Turkish news reports.
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The scholars were accused of “making propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization “and of insulting the state, the Turkish people, and authorities. The petition, “We Won’t Be a Party to This Crime,” was signed by more than 1,100 academics from 90 different Turkish universities.
The petition, which was published on Monday, urged “the state to abandon its deliberate massacre and deportation of Kurdish and other peoples in the region. We also demand the state to lift to curfew, punish those who are responsible for human rights violations, and compensate those citizens who have experienced material and psychological damage.”
The petition also stated that, ” the right to life, liberty, and security, and in particular the prohibition of torture and ill treatment protected by the constitution and international conventions have been violated.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Friday, “Just because they have titles such as professor, doctor in front of their name does not make them enlightened. These are dark people.” He continued, ” They are villain[s] and vile because those who side with the villain are villain[s] themselves.”
President Edorgan’s statement was made shortly after he visited a nearby site of suicide bomb attack’s on Tuesday. Tuesday’s attack which killed 10 German terrorists has been blamed on the Islamic State.
While no details are available regarding the investigation, the scholars could face one to five years in jail if convicted at a trial. The detention of the scholars has caused concern over freedom of expression, especially academic expression and intellectual debate.
Senior Turkey Researcher at Human Rights Watch, Emma Sinclair-Webb, stated, “The campaign against academics this week certainly targets a new group and has very serious consequences for academic freedom in Turkey, as well as free speech.” She continued, “There are concerns for the physical safety of some academics in provincial universities after being targeted in such a way.”
The Turkish military operations against Kurdish militants have displaced thousands and have caused more than 100 civilian casualties, according to human rights groups.
For more information, please see:
Al-Jazeera America – Turkey Detains Academics Who Denounced Military Operations Against Kurds – 15 January 2016
CNN – Turkey Detains at Least 18 Signers of Petition Opposing Kurdish Operation – 15 January 2016
Reuters – Turkey Detains 27 Academics Accused of Signing ‘Peace Declaration’ – 15 January 2016
The New York Times – Turkey Releases Detained Academics Who Signed Petition Defending Kurds – 15 January 2016