Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Newsfeed - February 29

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com

Commentary - Education in Mother Language: A Barrier to Kurdish - Turkish 'Open' Dialogue

Read Nil Uzun's commentary on education in mother language on GIT - North America.

Science and Academy of Sciences under AKP government


Read about a panel discussion on science and the Turkish Academy of Sciences under AKP government, including the foundation of a new independent Science Academy in Turkey, on GIT - North America.


Sign the petition to condemn the arrests of education union officers

Support female education union officers who were arrested by the police via GIT - North America.

No releases in sixth year of proceedings


Read about the continuing court case against the underground Marxist Leninist Communist Party the defendants of which include several journalists on GIT - North America.

An open letter from Ece Temelkuran to Slavoj Zizek

Read Turkish journalist Ece Temelkuran's letter to Slavoj Zizek on the latter's support of the idea of Turkey as a model via GIT - North America.

The legacy of military coups and freedom of expression in Turkey

Read Pinar Kemerli's op-ed on the relationship between the continuing legacy of military coups and freedom of expression in Turkey via GIT - North America.

Turkish Democracy: A model abroad, troubled at home?

Watch last Wednesday's panel discussion in Washington, DC, on Turkish democracy, which included Howard Eissenstat, a GIT - North America member, on Vimeo or read about it on POMED.

Science and the Academy of Sciences under AKP government

Last Thursday (February 23), the Society of University Councils (Üniversite Konseyleri Derneği) hosted a panel entitled "Science and the Academy of Sciences under AKP's Rule" in Istanbul. GIT - North America had reported earlier on the governmental intervention on science in Turkey and the international response that this intervention had generated. Another important development in this regard was the foundation of an independent science academy in Turkey, the "Science Academy Society" (Bilim Akademisi Derneği). While 67 of the former 138 members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi, TÜBA) resigned after the governmental intervention, seventeen of them founded the Science Academy Society on November 25, 2011.

One of the founding members of the Science Academy Society, Ahmet Oral, a professor of physics at Sabanci University and a former member of TÜBA, was the first speaker at the panel on Thursday. After conveying the story of the foundation of the Society, Oral drew attention to the general silence of the Turkish universities while the government was intervening in TÜBA. Oral noted that the universities used to be more vocal in response to governmental interventions in science in the early 1980s even though there was a military regime in power.

The other speaker at the panel was Alper Dizdar, assistant professor of physics at Istanbul University. While admitting that there are more funds allocated for science under AKP rule, Dizdar emphasized the need to question the purpose these funds were actually serving. He stated that under AKP science is seen as a tool to open new areas for the representatives of big capital. Public funds are thus being transferred to the interests of big capital. Dizdar concluded by underlining the international dimension of this development, noting that nowhere in the world is capitalism using science in the interests of the society at large.

You can read a full report of the panel in Turkish on soL Portal.

Sign the Petition to Condemn the Arrests of Union Officers

Please visit the site of "Education International" to read and sign the petition to protest against the police raid followed by the arrests of female union officers of the following organizations:


The teachers union Egitim Sen, of SES, the Health and Social Service Workers Union and of TUM BEL SEN, the Union of All Municipality Civil Servants. Please visit:


http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/2081

No Releases in Sixth Year of Proceedings

Nilay Vardar of Bianet reported on the proceedings of the trial related to the underground Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) that has been pending for six years. Of the 24 defendants of the case, 12 are detained among them also three journalists: Özgür Radio Publications Director Füsun Erdoğan, Atılm newspaper General Publications Co-ordinator Sedat Şenoğlu and Atılım newspaper writer Bayram Namaz. Here are excerpts:
None of the twelve detained defendants, among them several journalists, was released at the hearing of the MKLP trial on 23 February. The next hearing was scheduled for 29 May.
Detained defendant journalist Füsun Erdoğan addressed the Turkish Government and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan in particular in her speech before the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court in Beşiktaş.


"It is demagogy aimed at confusing the public to state that only nine journalists are in prison and that the detained journalists stand accused of 'harassment' or 'rape'".
"In the 1980s, people were forced with torture to testify. Nowadays, they are being accused on the grounds of evidence that was prepared beforehand. We are here today because of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK). They have been keeping me in prison for six years and have victimized me. I am asking myself why I have been in prison for six years."


To read the full report visit Bianet.

From Ece Temelkuran: An open letter to Slavoj Zizek

Ece Temelkuran, a journalist who has written time and again about the undermined democratic rights and the proliferation of a culture of fear in Turkey (an example of which can be read here), and who, as a result of her opposing views, was recently fired from her news agency, has penned a letter addressed to the acclaimed cultural theorist and philosopher Slavoj Zizek. The letter was published in the New Statesmen, wherein Temelkuran expressed her unease with Zizek's support of the idea of Turkey as a model, pointing out Turkey's alarming record on human rights violations.

The Legacy of Military Coups and Freedom of Expression in Turkey

If one is to have a complete picture of the repressions on freedom of expression in modern Turkey one needs to look more closely at the legacy of the military coups the country has experienced, especially that of the 1980 coup, the spectre of which still continues to haunt Turkish citizens via the 1982 military constitution which is still in place. Although the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), through a referendum, changed 26 articles of that constitution and advertised the results as 'the triumph of civil democracy over the military rule', the changes have been nothing more than cosmetic as the main clauses restricting freedoms have still not been touched. On the contrary, by the enactment of the new Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) in 2006 the government showed its willingness to embrace the legacy of militarism and 're-securitize' the country abridging all personal rights and liberties. As put aptly in a TESEV report on the amendments to the TMK, "the TMK signaled a significant reversal of the democratic advances and gains amassed in the previous period" and as such was nothing more than a continuation of the militarist-mind-set.


Highlighting this continuity, Pinar Kemerli, in her Al-Jazeera op-ed titled "Turkey's Civilian-Military Complex" draws our attention to the fact that "the restriction of the Turkish Armed Force's autonomy and the chance of further intervention in political life do not amount to a full-scale 'civilianisation' of Turkey's democracy". Moreover, "uncritically celebratory accounts of the civilian government's triumph over the military" not only "ignore the increasingly authoritarian tendencies of the AKP government" they also "work to shift attention from the continuing crackdown on pro-Kurdish democratic activism in Turkey and detract from the escalation of the arbitrary detention of activists, journalists, publishers and academics critical of the government under the guise of 'fighting terrorism'".


Read the rest of the op-ed at Al-Jazeera



Sunday, February 26, 2012

Newsfeed - February 26

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com



Crack-down on students at the Suleyman Demirel University

Read about the administration's crack-down on politically active students at the Suleyman Demirel University on GIT - North America.

GIT - Turkiye's Press Release


Read GIT - Turkiye's press release in English on GIT - North America.


Turkey Uses the Law to Repress: CPJ's Report on the Press in 2011


Read about CPJ's recently published report on the striking numbers of criminal cases currently held against journalists in Turkey on GIT - North America.

Big Brother Inc.: Turkey, An Endemic Surveillance Society



Read about Privacy International's detailed report on Turkey's constitutional privacy and data protection framework on GIT - North America



Crack down on students at the Suleyman Demirel University

The administration of the Suleyman Demirel University opened an investigation about a hundred students for protesting Uludere Massacre on campus. Another fifty-one of them were suspended for 15 days for  their press release to voice their complaints about university tuition fees. The administration's crack down on politically active students is interpreted as Hasan Iblicioglu's declared enmity to student politics. Read more on this, on the website of student collectives: Kolektifler




GIT - Turkiye -- Press Release

Academics Are Uniting Against Pressures

Prof. Busra Ersanli’s arrest was the last straw


We, academics, convened on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Cezayir Restaurant in Istanbul to initiate the International Work Group for Academic Liberty and Freedom of Research in Turkey (GITTurkiye).


Joining forces is the first step in the struggle we are determined to wage against the recent escalation of pressures on scientists and intellectuals. The detention of our colleague Prof. Busra Ersanli on unjustified grounds, and her being imprisoned for exactly 108 days now, has played the key role in our mobilization. During these 108 days, politicians have tried to cast public disrepute on Prof. Busra Ersanli through irresponsible statements. Despite her having dedicated her whole life to peace, her name has been associated with terrorism and violence by certain media organizations.


The injustice inflicted on Busra Ersanli is the example that public opinion is most familiar with. It is possible, however, to multiply the examples. Academics and researchers have been subjected to pressures and intimidations that have become widespread over the past few years and have donned various forms. These pressures and intimidations have seriously constrained the intellectual and social conditions of existence of academics, especially of those researching and lecturing on issues that are considered taboo. Academics with dissident and critical approaches are being intimidated via interventions into their field of research, administrative investigations, arbitrary dismissals and limits on budgetary positions. Without doubt, these interventions have an impact that goes beyond universities to affect all of society. At the same time, this state of affairs impedes the emergence of alternative views concerning questions of great urgency in Turkey.


We declare that from now on we will watch over universities and academic activity. From now on, we will watch over our students who are arbitrarily arrested by the judiciary and who are deprived of their status as students because of disciplinary investigations carried out by university administrations. As a network of solidarity formed by over 400 academics from almost 50 universities around Turkey, the International Work Group for Academic Liberty and Freedom of Research in Turkey (GITTurkiye) will keep track of pressures and impediments of all sorts in universities and struggle against the oppression and hindrances that intellectuals are facing in Turkey.


We are determined to struggle together against obstacles in the way of the free production and dissemination of knowledge.


International Work Group for Academic Liberty and Freedom of Research in Turkey (GITTurkiye)


What is GITTurkiye?

Founded in France, North America, the UK and Switzerland after Prof. Busra Ersanli’s arrest, the International Work Group for Academic Liberty and Freedom of Research in Turkey (GIT) was also initiated in Turkey when 13 academics launched a call in January (http://gitturkiye.org/). More than 400 academics have responded to the call as of date (http://gitturkiye.org/index.php/destekciler).

The primary aim of the group is to provide information based on documents concerning all sorts of pressure and impediments to which academics, instructors and researchers are subjected, organize conferences, seminars, panels and press briefings on conditions under which education and research are conducted, and publicize these via internet and the press.

For more information:

http://gitturkiye.org

info@gitturkiye.org

Turkey Uses the Law to Repress: CPJ's Report on Attacks on the Press in 2011

Committee to Protect Journalists, an independet, nonprofit organization to promote press freedom worldwide by defending the rights of journalists, recently published a report on the striking numbers of criminal cases currently held against journalists in Turkey . The report is part of their larger agenda of reporting attacks on the press and is penned by Robert Mahoney, who conducted interviews with "[...] more than 20 media executives, journalists, academics, lawyers, and human rights defenders during a 2011 visit to the country." 

"One of the most intimidating statutes, however, remains the 1991 Anti-Terrorism Act (Act 3713), which was prompted by the Kurdish rebellion that began several years earlier. Articles 6 and 7 of the law, the most frequently used against the media, outlaw the publication of statements by terrorist organizations, for example, and provide a one- to five-year prison term for making "propaganda" for such organizations. In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg found that these provisions restricted freedom of expression and contravened Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory."

Big Brother Inc.: Turkey, an endemic surveillance society

Privacy International revealed Turkey's privacy profile and personal data protection framework and concluded that Turkey is an endemic surveillance society even before the referendum of September 2010, which equipped the jurisdiction and the law enforcement with more consolidated power.

"[...]

NATIONAL SECURITY, GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE & LAW ENFORCEMENT
Wiretapping, access to, and interception of communications

Despite the existing laws and regulations, the right to privacy of private communications is immature in Turkey. According to Human Rights Watch, human rights defenders are routinely placed under surveillance, often prevented from holding public events, and routinely prosecuted for various speech and assembly offences.[22]

Articles 195-200 of the Turkish Criminal Code govern freedom of communication through letters, parcels, telegram, and telephone. Government officials are required, subject to various exceptions, to obtain a judicial warrant before monitoring private correspondence.

In a letter that was leaked to the media in early 2007, the National Intelligence Agency Undersecretary complained about the difficulties the national intelligence community was facing because of existing legislation against phone tapping and eavesdropping; he requested an amendment in the law to enhance the agency's eavesdropping powers.[23]
National security legislation

In 2006, the government adopted amendments to its Antiterrorism Law. The amendments have been highly criticised for placing further restrictions on the already censored media. Editors that disclose the identities of public personnel fighting terrorism may be fined, and a judge may order the closure for up to one month of a publication that "makes propaganda for terrorist organisations." During the year there was an increase in the number of cases against the press under the Antiterrorism Law. The Turkish Publishers Association and human rights groups reported that the law contains an overly broad definition of what constitutes an offence that allows ideologically and politically motivated prosecutions.[24]

Immediately following deadly bombings in Ankara in May 2007, the government proposed another amendment to the Police Task and Authority Bill, (Polis Vazife Ve Selahiyet Kanunu)[25] that will allow police to take fingerprints of anyone applying for a gun licence, driving licence, passport, or Turkish citizenship. This amendment was adopted swiftly in June 2007. It also provides the police with a larger authority to stop, search, and demand identification from individuals. The amended Bill also enables the police to use anyone to collect information. Some lawyers say it represents the largest expansion of police authority ever.[26]
Data retention

In the Telecommunications Council's 2007 work plan, the Authority stated that it plans to review the Regulation on Personal Data Processing and the Protection in Telecommunication Sector (Regulation) in order to suggest methods of harmonising it with the European Union's 2006 Data Retention Directive.[27] No further information has been provided.
National databases for law enforcement and security purposes

The Ministry of Justice has recently established a National Judiciary Informatics System (Ulusal Yargı Ağı Projesi or UYAP ),[28] which is to implement a very ambitious information system between the courts and all other institutions of the Ministry, including prisons. UYAP equipped these institutions with computers with networking and Internet connections, allowing them access to all legislation, decisions of the Supreme Court, judicial records, judicial data of the police, and army records. Thus, UYAP established an electronic network covering all courts, offices of public prosecutors and law enforcement offices together with the Central Organisation of the Ministry of Justice."

In that regard, GIT - North America had previously called attention to the
controversial "press reform" of Turkey's Ministry of Justice. In another analysis of media-based hate speech campaign against the arrested academic Büşra Ersanlı, we also illustrated the kinds of violations of personal information that might be legalized by the State, under the disguise of "press reform." The analysis showed how her ex-husbands' privacy was violated and how their official criminal records, ethnic and religious identification records were investigated and revealed, in order to target her. The piece demonstrated how this "press reform" will likely secure the government's right to violate its citizens' privacy.

As all signs indicate, Turkey needs an urgent legal reform; rather than shady "press reforms" that seem more likely to secure the state's rights to violate its citizens' privacy, real remedy to the judicial system should be putting into question Turkey's anti-terrorism law and its problems instead, as well as implementing a close scrutiny process in the context of "legal wire-tapping" and better protect individual rights to privacy, expression, and association and identity.
 

To read the full Privacy International report on Turkey, please visit:

https://www.privacyinternational.org/article/turkey-privacy-profile

and

https://www.privacyinternational.org/big-brother-incorporated/countries/Turkey

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Newsfeed - February 22

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com

Young academics' statement makes media waves on the internet

Read about the Young Academics' video statement on Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan's remarks on "raising a religious youth," which has been watched more than 85,000 times over two and a half days, on GIT - North America.

Students in custody for protesting the Higher Education Institution

Read about the students who were taken into custody for a peaceful protest in Zonguldak on GIT - North America.

Education projects display the government's desire to raise a religious youth


Read about the press conference of the Education and Science Workers' Union for concrete examples of governmental policies directed toward raising a religious youth on GIT - North America.

Columnist Nuray Mert speaks about the "indefinite leave" given to her by Milliyet

Read about the press release by the renowned Turkish columnist and academic Nuray Mert on the "indefinite leave" given to her by the daily Milliyet on GIT - North America.

The law on misdemeanor and the troubles of LGBT

Read about how the law on misdemeanor is arbitrarily applied by the police in Turkey to prosecute LGBT individuals on GIT - North America.

Turkish Prime Minister should be more tolerant, says European Court of Human Rights

Read the ruling on the case of Erbil Tusalp, who was sentenced by Turkish courts to pay Erdogan 10,000 TL for writing critical remarks about him, on Hurriyet Daily News.

Young Academics' Statement makes media waves on the internet

A group of young academics from Turkey released a video Sunday afternoon (February 19), transforming their successful petition campaign into a visual format for the global public opinion in response to the statements of the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan about raising a religious youth. As of this morning (February 22), the video has been watched more than 85,000 times!

Closing their petition campaign with a press conference on Monday, Nevzat Evrim Önal, Assistant Professor of Economics at the Beykoz Vocational College for Logistics, read a press release that was prepared collectively by the group. The press release summarized Erdoğan's statements from February 1 and 6, declaring his intentions to raise a "religious and conservative" youth, targeting atheists, and implying that if someone is not raised religiously, s/he might become addicted to paint thinner -- a reference to socio-economically disadvantaged (and mostly homeless) children who spend their lives on streets to make a living.

The press release then summarized the process by which a group of young academics got together over the internet, produced a statement, which was then posted on a blog for signatures on February 8. This statement, which drew attention, among other things, to the discriminatory nature of Erdoğan's remarks, the explosive potential of targeting atheists, the socio-economic problems that create thinner addiction among poor children, and the atmosphere of fear that has been created in Turkey by the AKP government, received national as well as international attention, receiving wide coverage in media and a good deal of support by more than 3,000 signatories.

The young academics' press release touched upon the journalists in Turkish jails, the Interior Minister's remarks that declared art and authorship as terrorist activities, and the fear about speaking up that the AKP government is creating in Turkey. Yet, the young academics emphasized, it is their responsibility to speak up because "[being] human is a responsibility."

The press release also reminded the Prime Minister of the European Court of Human Rights' 2007 decision that declared compulsory religious education in schools illegal according to the European Convention on Human Rights (you can read the full text of the press release in Turkish here).

After Dr. Önal read the press release, several individual signatories of the statement by the young academics made remarks about why they signed it. Zelal Özgül from Marmara University noted that the assumption that a non-religious youth is a dark one is itself a very dark idea. Alper Dizdar from Istanbul University reminded the audience of the problems faced by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (some of which was covered by GIT - North America earlier). Two GIT - North America members who are on research leave in Turkey were also present at the press conference. Erdem Çıpa from Michigan University shared his observations about the Turkish graduate students who receive governmental fellowships to support their education in the US. He noted that while students who are critical of the government face difficulties, those who are supporters of the government have much easier access to funds and job opportunities in Turkey. Baki Tezcan from University of California, Davis, stated that if science and education programs are planned with religious objectives in mind, they are doomed to fail as the history of science in the pre-modern Islamic world demonstrates.

The video of the young academics received coverage in various internet media outlets in Turkey and became a special on the internet edition of the daily Radikal on Sunday, becoming the second-most commented upon news item. The daily Evrensel carried the press conference to the upper right corner of its front page (see the photo on this page). The press conference was also covered by soL Portal. You can support these young academics from Turkey by watching their video on You Tube and sharing it with your colleagues and friends.


Students in Custody for Protesting YOK

The Heads of the Higher Council of Education (YOK) and Universities in Turkey met in Zonguldak for The Restructuring of Higher Education and Quality Assurance System Workshop organized collaboratively by Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and YOK. The administration of the Karaelmas University in Zonguldak took extensive security measures for the campus visit of the YOK President Gökhan Çetinsaya, who cancelled the visit at the last moment due to possible student protests and went directly to the hotel, where the workshop was held. The police also created a security zone around the hotel and took five students in custody. Read more in Turkish on Kolektifler and Radikal.







Egitim Sen: Recent Education Projects Display Government's Desire to Raise A Religious Generation

On February 10, 2012, right after Prime Minister Erdogan's statement about the government's desire to raise a religious youth, the Istanbul branches of Education and Science Workers' Union (Egitim-Sen) held a press conference in which they expressed that Erdogan's statement was discriminatory but not unexpected. "A look at the educational policies of the government already displays the tendency to raise a religious youth", says Barış Uluocak, Branch President of Egitim-Sen. "Hence", he continues, "for those who follow these policies closely, Erdogan's statement is nothing more than a public announcement of what has already been known".

According to the news portal Bianet, indicating "that the prime minister's education projects were used as tools to design a religious social life, Uluocak noted the following examples:

* By splitting compulsory education into three periods of four years, Religious Vocational Schools can be chosen after fourth grade in primary school.

* The strategic plan 2012-2016 of the Department of Religious Affairs includes an article on 'efforts to develop pilgrimage services for students'. The department will play a more dominant role in education and training services.
* A Provincial National Education Director awarded the Director of a Counselling and Research Centre who gives pedagogic seminars to parents during the Friday prayer.
* The intent to do activities related to the Week of the Holy Birth in schools within the Values Education Project of the National Education Ministry (MEB).
* In the scope of the Progressive Project on Absenteeism (ADEY) of the MEB, the delegation going to the homes of absent students also includes persons on religious duties.
* The Istanbul Provincial National Education Directorate organized a writing project for all schools to choose writers close to the religious community."
To read the rest of the news article, please visit Bianet. To read the full text of the press release in Turkish please visit Egitim-Sen's website.

Columnist Nuray Mert Speaks about the "Indefinite Leave" Given to Her by Milliyet

The renowned Turkish columnist and academic Nuray Mert has finally spoken on the 'indefinite leave' given to her by the daily Milliyet, which had published Mert's last article on February 12 with a footnote indicating that Mert would be on indefinite leave and it had, since then, refused to provide further information. Meanwhile, Mert, who had been waiting for Milliyet to clarify the issue, had kept silent. After a long wait, on February 21, she sent a written statement to the news portal Medya Tava. Her statements includes details that portray the process that led to her 'indefinite leave' as follows:

"As a result of the increasing inquiries by my readers as well as by various media outlets I feel the need to make an explanation regarding my current status in the daily Milliyet. On February 11, I received a call from Milliyet informing me that there was a problematic situation concerning me and that they needed some time to clarify the situation. They asked me whether I could take an indefinite leave while they tried to finalize this issue. Although I knew very well how this would end up, in order not to make things harder for the management I accepted that they published the note regarding the indefinite leave with the condition that this whole situation would be clarified and finalized later that week. Things have evolved in a way that I expected but still do not approve. My position at Milliyet is still up in the air. Under these terms, I waited for Milliyet to publish a written statement. Not only did they not do that but it has also gotten increasingly harder for me to contact the management. From a certain point onward I was not allowed to contact them anymore. Right now, this is what disturbs me most.

I am well aware that no media outlet is obliged to continually employ all of its columnists. I am equally aware of the limits of the freedom of expression in Turkish media today. However, at the very least, the rules of civility requires that Milliyet provide me with an explanation clarifying the reasons for such a treatment, which they have not done. This I find really bothersome. (...) I am not the first journalist to experience this treatment, nor am I experiencing this for the first time. We all know very well the current deterioration of conditions of all sorts of freedoms in Turkey. Some people like my political stance and some do not; however, rather than silencing me or celebrating my forced leave, those who do not like my views should have tried either to have a debate with me or to totally ignore me. Unfortunately, things did not develop that way."

To read the rest of the statement in Turkish, please click here.

The Law on Misdemeanor and the troubles of LGBT

The Law on Misdemeanor is arbitrarily applied by the police in Turkey to prosecute the LGBT individuals. Bianet reports on a recent incident, in which the Ankara police stopped the three members of the of the Pink Life Association, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organization in a traffic control on 19 June 2010 on the busy Bağlar Avenue. After checking their IDs, the police decided to take the three individuals to the police station by reason of the Law on Misdemeanour and was going to apply a monetary fine. The Pink Life members protested the applications. Thereupon, the police made the three individuals to leave their car and took them into custody. Now they stand trial for alleged resistance against the police.

Previously, other members of the Pink Life organization, were subjected to police violence and ill-treatment, and stood trial on charges of "resistance to the police" and "insult of a civil servant on duty", which ended with the acquittal of the defendants due to lack of evidence for the alleged offenses. Read on Bianet.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Newsfeed - February 19

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com

GIT Turkiye Press Conference: The Council of Higher Education acts like National Security Council of Universities

Read about the first press conference of GIT Turkiye, which was held on February 16, on GIT - North America.

Academics United: GIT Turkiye Press Coverage

Read the Turkish press coverage of the first press conference of GIT Turkiye on GIT - North America.

New Signatures for GIT's inaugural declaration

GIT Initiative released new signatures for its inaugural declaration on February 15 and also published the signatures for GIT Turkiye. See them via GIT - North America.

Dink family petitions for the prosecution of public officials

Read about Dink family's petition via GIT - North America.

No discharge for policeman who killed student

Read about the case of the murdered student Serzan Kurt on GIT - North America.

GIT TURKIYE Press Conference: The Council of Higher Education (YOK) acts like National Security Council of Universities


GIT Turkiye, after its very recently establishment, held a press meeting on 16th of February in Istanbul. GIT Turkiye is established by more than 400 academics in 50 Universities. In the press meeting International Work Group for Research and Academic Freedoms (GIT) announced that they start a collaborative afford to support intellectuals, students and academics in their struggle against censorship, intimidations and oppressions.


Istanbul - BİA Haber Merkezi


In the press release the academics declared that GIT Turkiye will become a venue to ensure freedom of research and knowledge dissemination.

In their declaration to the press, Assoc. Prof. Zeynep Gambetti from Bogazici University stated that the recent arrest of Professor Busra Ersanlı in “KCK operations” and the overall worsening conditions of liberties in Turkey channeled academics to establish a united front against oppression and injustices. The Ersanlı’s arrest, just another renowned act of state’s violence has become the last straw to bring academics together.

“The repressions and intimidations started to pose an existential threat for academics, particularly upon those who specifically focus on taboo issues in Turkey. The critical minds in academia are incessantly suppressed by techniques like interventions on the research areas, administrative inquisitions, cadre limitations and arbitrary displacements. Without doubt these repressions are not only affecting Universities, they also influence entirety of the society.”

It is declared that GIT Turkiye will monitor all the repressive activities and intimidations in academia, and it will struggle with all the interventions and oppressions regardless of where they come from. Academics said “We are eager in establishing this front, we will safeguard liberties together to ensure free production and dissemination of knowledge.”

“Academia need to take action”

Prof. Dr. Fusun Ustel, from Galatasaray University introduced ‘Lima Decleration on Academic Freedom and Autonomy of Institutions of Higher Education’ to define academic freedom. She stressed that academic freedoms involve full independence of students and academics in all phases of academic research.

Prof. Dr. Ayse Durakbasa, from Marmara University mentioned that their coming together is an impulse against increasing state repressions and she added that she does not approve of the recent policies to re-structure the higher education in Turkey.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Insel from Galatasaray University, said “the repression against universities were more severe during 1980s and 1990s, however, the crucial question we need to ask today is that why does the same repressive regime still continue today?” Insel said “the universities has become the sites of authoritarian mentality, the Council of Higher Education (YOK) acts like National Security Council of Universities, nothing has changed in YOK, it remain the same authoritarian institution”.

In the meeting academics gave examples and shared their experiences about oppressive actions in universities, especially the ones related with disciplinary inquisitions. They also declared that GIT Turkey will establish a databank; they will collect and publicize the wrong doings in universities.

For more detailed information about GIT Turkiye please click here.

To read the original in Turkish in Bianet click here

New GIT Signatures

February 15, 2012. Fourth List of signatures for the Inaugural Declaration (November 21, 2011) "Academic Liberty and Freedom of Research in Turkey"

and GIT Türkiye

Total of new signatures for February 15, 2012: 389

(20 international signatures, including GIT Germany)

Dr. Bilgin Ayata (Postdoctoral Fellow, FU Berlin Germany), Alice von Bieberstein (PhD Student, Cambridge University UK, Anthropology), Suha Calkivik (Lecturer and ITU Radio Broadcast Manager, Istanbul Technical University Turkey), Giacomo Cuva (Professor, Univ. La Sapienza, Roma Italy, History) Massoud Sharidi Dryaz (PhD candidate, EHESS, Paris and Lecturer, University at Evry Val d’Essone France, Sociology), Erdem Evren (Postdoctoral Fellow, Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin Germany), Dr. Nursen Gurboga (Lecturer, Marmara University, Political Science and International Relations and EUME Fellow 2011-2012, Berlin Germany), Dr. Beatrice Hendrich (Marie-Curie Fellow, University of Cyprus, Turkish Studies), Dr. Yasemin İnceoğlu (Professor, Galatasaray University Turkey, Journalism), Charlotte Joppien (PhD Student, Hamburg University Germany), Rita Koryan (Associate Director, Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies, Northwestern University USA), Dr. Matthias Naumann (Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IRS) Germany), Enis Oktay (PhD Student, Goldsmiths College UK, Cultural Studies), Erol Özkoray (Writer and Political Scientist), Vasiliki Petsa (Ph.D Candidate, Athens University Greece, Literature), Prof. Dr. Werner Ruf (Professor, University of Kassel Germany, International Politics), Dr. Ibrahim Kaya Sahin (Assistant Professor, Indiana University at Bloomington USA, History), Dr. Thomas Schmidinger (Lecturer, University of Vienna Austria), Dr. Andrea Fischer-Tahir (Research Fellow, Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin, Germany), Omer Tekdemir (PhD Researcher, School of Government and International Affairs, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University UK), Nur Yasemin Ural (PhD Student, EHESS, Paris France)

GIT Türkiye

(355 signatures, listed alphabetically by first name)

For an up to the minute count, please see GIT Türkiye’s website: http://gitturkiye.com/

FOUNDING MEMBERS OF GIT TÜRKIYE

Füsun Üstel (Prof. Dr. Galatasaray Üniv.), Ayşe Durakbaşa (Prof. Dr. Marmara Üniv.), Zeynep Gambetti (Doç. Dr. Boğaziçi Üniv.), Ferda Keskin (Doç. Dr. Bilgi Üniv.), Günay Göksu Özdoğan (Prof. Dr. Marmara Üniv.), Ahmet İnsel (Prof. Dr. Galatasaray Üniv.), Mesut Yeğen (Prof. Dr. Şehir Üniv.), Ümit Cizre (Prof. Dr. Şehir Üniv.), Levent Köker (Prof. Dr. Atılım Üniv.), Mithat Sancar (Prof. Dr. Ankara Üniv.), Baskın Oran (Prof. Dr.), İştar Gözaydın (Prof. Dr. Doğuş Üniv.), Huri Özdoğan (Prof. Dr. İstanbul Üniversitesi), Nesrin Uçarlar (Öğr. Gör.).

LIST OF SIGNATURES

Betül Çelik, Doç. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; A. Emre Cengiz, Doktora Öğr., Anadolu Üniv. ; A. Gani Kaçar, Arş. Gör., Ankara Üniversitesi ; A. Selçuk Ertekin, Prof. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; A.Ferruh Akay, Doç. Dr. , Özel Vevi Vidi Hastanesi Diyarbakır ; Adalet B. Alada, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Adnan Gümüş, Prof. Dr., Çukurova Üniversitesi ; Ahmet Alış, Doktora Öğr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Ahmet Demirel, Doç. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Ahmet Ersoy, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Ahmet Gurata, Doç. Dr., Bilkent Üniversitesi ; Ahmet Talimciler, Doç. Dr., Ege Üniv.; Ahmet Yıldırım, Doç. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Akın Tek, Okutman, Şehir Üniversitesi ; Ali Alper Akyüz, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Ali Ekber Doğan, Dr., Mersin Üniversitesi ; Ali Kerem Saysel, Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Annedith Schneider, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi; Arzu Öztürkmen, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Asena Pala, Arş. Gör., Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Aslı Çalkıvık, Öğr. Gör. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi; Aslı Güneş, Doktora Öğr., Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Aslı Odman, Doktora Öğr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Aslı Telli Aydemir, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Şehir Üniversitesi ; Aslı Tunç, Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniv. ; Atilla Göktürk, Prof. Dr., Muğla Üniversitesi ; Ayda Arel, Prof. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Aydın Ördek, Arş. Gör., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Aydın Uğur, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Ayhan Sol, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Aykut N. Çoban, Prof. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Ayla Zirh Gürsoy, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Aylin Kılıç, Öğr. Gör., İstanbul Bilgi ĞÜniversitesi ; Aynur İlyasoğlu, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Berkman, Prof. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Devrim Başterzi, Doç. Dr., Mersin Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Ertuğrul, Öğr. Gör., Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Erzan, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Gül Altınay, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Prof. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Ayşe Serdar, Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ayşegül Yakar Önal, Yrd. Doç. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Ayşen Candaş Bilgen, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Ayşen Uysal, Doç. Dr., Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi ; Ayten Alkan, Doç. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Bahar Şahin Fırat, Doktora Öğr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Baki Tezcan, Doç. Dr., Kaliforniya Üniversitesi ; Barış Mücen, Öğr.Gör. Dr. , Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Barış Yapışkan, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Başak Güneş, Arş. Gör., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Başak Tuğ, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Bediz Yılmaz, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Mersin Üniversitesi ; Begüm Başdaş, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Yeditepe Üniversitesi ; Begüm Özkaynak, Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Benan Yücebalkan, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Bengü Aydın, Arş. Gör., İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi ; Beril Sözmen, Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Berk Esen, Doktora Öğr., Cornell Üniv.; Berna Kılınç, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Besim F. Dellaloğlu, Prof. Dr., Kırklareli Üniversitesi ; Besime Şen, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Beyza Ç. Tekin, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Bilge Fırat, Arş. Gör. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Biriz Berksoy, Öğr. Gör. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Birol Caymaz, Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Bora Erdağı, Ar. Gör. Dr., Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Buket Türkmen, Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Bülent Gözkan, Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Bülent Somay, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Burcu Çıngay, Ar. Gör., Boğaziçi Üniv. ; Burcu Yılmaz Gündüz, Doktora Öğr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Cafer Sarıkaya, Doktora Öğr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Can Irmak Özinanır, Arş. Gör., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Canay Şahin, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniv.; Cem Kirazoğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Maltepe Üniversitesi ; Cem Özatalay, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Cem Terzi, Prof. Dr., Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi ; Cemal Bali Akal, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Cemil Yıldızcan, Arş. Gör., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Cenk Saraçoğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ceren Ozselcuk, Yrd. Doc. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Ceren Sözeri, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Cesim Çelik, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi ; Cevat Demir, Prof. Dr., Okan Üniversitesi ; Ceyda Arslan Kechriotis, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Çiğdem Kafesçioğlu, Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Cüneyt Ozansoy, Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Demet Lüküslü, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Yeditepe Üniversitesi ; Deniz Demir, Arş. Gör, Marmara Üniversitesi ; Deniz Vardar, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Deniz Yonucu, Doktora Öğr., Cornell Üniversitesi ; Devrim Sezer, Yrd. Doç. Dr., İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi ; Didem Çınar, Arş. Gör, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Didem Danış, Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Diğdem Sezen, Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Dilek Çınar, Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Dilek Kaya Mutlu, Yrd.Doç.Dr., Bilkent Üniversitesi ; Doğan Yaşat, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Duygu Canan Öztürk, Arş. Gör, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Duygu Özsoy, Arş. Gör. , İstanbul Üniversitesi ; E. Fuat Keyman, Prof. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Ebru Kayaalp, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Şehir Üniv.; Ebru Yetişkin, Öğr. Gör. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ece Baykal, Ar. Gör., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Ece Öztan, Ar. Gör. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniv.; Efe Kerem Sözeri, Doktora Öğr., Vrije Universiteit ; Elçin Aktoprak, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Ankara Üniversitesi ; Elif Çağış, Doktora Öğr., Binghamton Üniversitesi ; Elif Çelebi, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Elif Daldeniz, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Okan Üniversitesi ; Elif Ekin Akşit, Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Elif Ergün, Arş. Gör., Sakarya Üniversitesi ; Emel Parlar Dal, Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Emine Sarıkartal, Doktora Öğr., Paris VIII Üniv.; Emrah Ayna, Doç. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Engin Sarı, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Erbatur Çavuşoğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Eren Deniz Tol-Göktürk, Prof. Dr., Muğla Üniversitesi ; Eren Özalay, Arş. Gör., Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi ; Erhan Doğan, Doç. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Erkan Erdil, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Erol Katırcıoğlu, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Erol Köroğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Erol Kuyurtar, Doç. Dr., Muğla Üniv. ; Erol Özkoray, Dr., ; Ersin Aslıtürk, Dr., Ottowa Universitesi ; Ersin Vedat Elgür, Öğr. Gör., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Esra Elmas, Arş. Gör., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Esra Mungan, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Ester Ruben, Doç. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ethem Özgüven, Öğr. Gör., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Eylem Hacımuratoğlu, Arş. Gör., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; F. İlke Büyükduman, Dr., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Faruk Alpkaya, Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Fatma Ang, Öğr. Gör. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Fatma Gök, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Fatma Ülgen, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Bilkent Üniversitesi ; Fazıl Hüsnü Erdem, Prof. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Ferdan Ergut, Doç. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Ferhat Kentel, Doç. Dr., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Ferhunde Özbay, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Feride Aksu Tanık, Prof. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Feryal Saygılıgil, Dr., ; Feyza Sivrikaya, Arş. Gör, Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Fikret Adaman, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Fuat Dündar, Dr. ; Fulya Atacan, Prof. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniv. ; Funda Tatar, Öğr. Gör., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Gamze Toksoy, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Gaye Çankaya Eksen, Arş. Gör., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Gencay Gürsoy, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi / Türk Tabibler Birliği ; Gökhan Yavuz, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Uludağ Üniv. ; Göksel N. Demirer, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Gönül Turgut, Ar. Gör., Ankara Üniv. ; Görkem Akgöz, Arş. Gör., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Güçlü Ateşoğlu, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Gül Tokay, Dr. ; Gülce Çetiner, Arş. Gör. , Ege Üniversitesi ; Gülhan Türkay, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Gülşah Kurt, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Günce Sabah Eryılmaz, Arş. Gör., Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi ; Güneş Kayacı, Arş. Gör, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Gürçağ Tuna, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Tunceli Üniversitesi ; Gürel Tüzün, Dr.; Güven Gürkan Öztan, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , İstanbul Üniversitesi ; H. Neşe Özgen, Prof. Dr., Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi ; Habibe Şentürk, Okutman, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Hakan Mıhçı, Doç. Dr., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Hakan Poyraz, Prof. Dr., Sakarya Üniversitesi ; Hakan Yücel, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Haldun Süral, Doç. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Hale Bolak Boratav, Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Halil Bayhan, Doktora Öğr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Halil Berktay, Prof. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Haluk Levent, Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Handan Çağlayan, Dr. ; Hülya Doğan, Arş. Gör., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Huri Özdoğan, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi; Hüseyin Atila Özgener, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; İbrahim Kaboğlu, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; İdil Çetin, Doktora Öğrencisi, Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; İhsan Bilgin, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; İlke Şanlıer Yüksel, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Doğuş Üniversitesi ; İnci Kerestecioğlu, Doç. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; İpek Demir, Dr., Leicester Üniv.; İpek İlkkaracan Ajas, Doç. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; İrfan Açıkgöz, Prof. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; İsmail Şiriner, Doç. Dr., Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; İsmet Akça, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; – Eğitim-Sen İstanbul Üniversiteler Şube Başkanı ; İsmet Parlak, Doç. Dr., Pamukkale Üniversitesi ; İzak Atiyas, Doç. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; İzzettin Önder, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Julia Strutz, Doktora Öğr., Leuven Üniversitesi ; K. Eylem Özkaya Lassalle, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Kerem Altıparmak, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Kerem Eksen, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Kerem Rızvanoğlu, Doç. Dr. , Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Kıvanç İnelman, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Koray Çalışkan, Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Kürşat Çağıltay, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniv.; Kuvvet Lordoğlu, Prof. Dr., Marmara / Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Lami Bertan Tokuzlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Lamia Gülçur, Yrd.Doç.Dr. , Boğaiçi Üniversitesi ; Levent Yılmaz, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Leyla Neyzi, Prof. Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; M. Yılmaz Savaşçın, Prof. Dr., Tunceli Üniversitesi ; Mahmut Mutman, Prof. Dr., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Mahmut Toğrol, Doç. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Markus Dressler, Yrd. Doç. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Emin Karaaslan, Prof. Dr., Işık Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Gencer, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Karlı, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Kuyurtar, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Ege Üniv. ; Mehmet Rauf Kesici, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Şerif Derince, Öğr. Gör., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Mehmet Türkay, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Mehtap Söyler, Doktora Öğr., Humboldt Üniversitesi ; Melek Göregenli, Prof. Dr., Ege Üniversitesi ; Meltem Ahıska, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniv. ; Meltem Toksöz, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Meltem Yılmaz Şener, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Memet Ali Demirdağ, Arş. Gör., Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Mert Bertan Avcı, Ar. Gör., İstanbul Üniv. ; Meryem Koray, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Mesut Sert, Arş. Gör. Dr., Akdeniz Üniversitesi ; Mihriban Özbaşaran, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniv. ; Mine Eder, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Mukadder Okuyan, Doktora Öğr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Murat Akan, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Murat Ali Biricik, Prof. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Murat Baç, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Murat Biricik, Prof. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Murat Cemal Yalçıntan, Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Murat Koyuncu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Murat Paker, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Mustafa Şener, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Mersin Üniv. ; Mustafa Sercan, Prof. Dr., Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi ; Muzaffer Şenel, Arş. Gör., Şehir Üniversitesi ; Naz Çavuşoğlu, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Nazile Kalaycı, Doç. Dr., Hacettep Üniv. ; Nesrin Uçarlar, Dr., Nihal İncioğlu, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Nihal Saban, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Nilgün Toker Kılınç, Prof. Dr., Ege Üniversitesi ; Nüket Esen, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Nükhet Sirman, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Nurcan Özkaplan, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Nurçay Türkoğlu, Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Nurşen Gürboğa, Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Nüzhet Dalfes, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Öget Öktem Tanör, Prof. Dr., Bilim Üniversitesi ; Oğuz Arıcı, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Haliç Üniversitesi ; Ohannes Kılıçdağı, Ar. Gör., Bilgi Üniv. ; Okan Akhan, Prof. Dr., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Ömer Naci Soykan, Prof. Dr., Mimar Sinan GS Üniv. ; Onur Hamzaoğlu, Prof. Dr., Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Osman İşçi, Arş. Gör., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Ozan Erözden, Doç. Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Özgen Yalçın, Arş. Gör, Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi ; Özgün E. Topak, Doktora Öğrencisi, Queen’s Universitesi ; Özgür Adadağ, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Özgür Bal, Arş. Gör, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Özgür Mumcu, Arş. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Özgür Öktem, Öğr. Gör., Şırnak Üniv. ; Özgür Sarıoğlu, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Özgür Sevgi Göral, Doktora Öğr., Ehess-Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales ; Özgür Soysal, Ar. Gör., Ege Üniv. ; Özgür Türesay, Arş. Gör., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Özlem Kaygusuz, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Pınar Uyan, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Rahman Dağ, Doktora Öğr., Exeter Üniversitesi ; Reyda Ergün, Dr.; Rezan Tuncay, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Tıp Fakültesi ; S. Aylin Gürses, Doktora Öğr., Miami University ; Sabri Öncü, Yrd. Doç. Dr., CAFRAL ; Safiye Ateş Durç, Arş. Gör, Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Sandrine Berteaux, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Savaş Çoban, Dr. ; Saygın Salgırlı, Dr., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Sebahat Şahin, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Sakarya Üniversitesi ; Seçil Doğuç, Arş. Gör., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Seçkin Özsoy, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Ankara Üniversitesi ; Seçkin Sertdemir Özdemir, Arş. Gör, Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Sefa Feza Aslan, Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Şefik Özcan, Ar. Gör., Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Selim Temo, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Selma Ulusoy, Uzman Sosyolog ; Sema Bayraktar, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Sema Erder, Prof. Dr., Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi ; Semih Bilgen, Prof. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Semra Cerit Mazlum, Doç. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Şemsa Özar, Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Şennur Özdemir, Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Serdar Altok, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Serdar Baysan, Arş. Gör, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Serdar M. Değirmencioğlu, Prof. Dr., Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi ; Sergender Sezer, Dr., Muğla Üniversitesi ; Serpil Bağcı, Prof. Dr., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Serpil Çakır, Doç. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Serpil Sancar, Prof. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi ; Sezgi Durgun, Dr., Marmara Üniv. ; Sibel Arkonac, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Sibel Ercan, Doktora Öğr., Yeditepe Üniversitesi ; Sibel İmren Öztürk, Arş. Gör, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Sibel İnceoğlu, Prof. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Songül Karahasanoğlu, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Stefo Benlisoy, Öğr. Gör. Dr., İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi ; Suavi Aydın, Prof. Dr., Hacettepe Üniversitesi ; Şükran Gölbaşı, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Haliç Üniversitesi ; Şükrü Aslan, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Şükrü Ekin Kocabaş, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Koç Üniversitesi ; Tahsin Yeşildere, Prof. Dr., Öğretim Üyeleri Derneği ; Tanel Demirel, Prof. Dr., Çankaya Üniversitesi ; Taner Ayanoğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Tansel Korkmaz, Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Teoman Pamukçu, Doç. Dr., Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi ; Tuba Akıncılar, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Tuğba Yıldırım, Doktora Öğr., EHESS / Tarih Vakfı ; Tülin Ural, Dr., Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ; Tuna Kuyucu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Türker Armaner, Doç. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; U. Uraz Aydın, Arş. Gör., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Ülkü Güney, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Maltepe Üniversitesi ; Ümit Arat, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Ümit Yazmacı, Arş. Gör., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Umut Azak, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Okan Üniv. ; Umut Yıldırım, Öğr. Gör., Sabancı Üniversitesi ; Vahap Coşkun, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Dicle Üniversitesi ; Vangelis Kechriotis, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Yağmur Ceylan Uslu, Doktora Öğrencisi, Paris X Nanterre Üniversitesi ; Yahya Madra, Öğr. Gör. Dr., Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Yasemin İnceoğlu, Prof. Dr., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Yeşim Burul, Öğr. Gör., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Yeşim Edis Şahin, Prof. Dr., Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi; Yeşim M. Atamer, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Yıldırım Şentürk, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi ; Yıldız Silier, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Yılmaz Savaşçın, Prof. Dr., Tunceli Üniversitesi ; Yılmaz Turgut, Doç. Dr., Dicle Üniversitesi ; Yücel Demirer, Doç. Dr., Kocaeli Üniversitesi ; Yüksel Göktaş, Doç. Dr., Atatürk Üniversitesi ; Yüksel Taşkın, Doç. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi ; Yunus Cengiz, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Yusuf Çiftçi, Okutman, Artuklu Üniversitesi ; Zerrin Kurtoğlu, Doç. Dr., Ege Üniv. ; Zeynep Çatay Çalışkan, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Bilgi Üniversitesi ; Zeynep Direk, Prof. Dr., Galatasaray Üniv. ; Zeynep Kadirbeyoğlu, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ; Zeynep Kıvılcım, Yrd. Doç. Dr. , İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Zeynep Savaşçın, Arş. Gör., Galatasaray Üniversitesi ; Zeynep Sayın, Prof. Dr., İstanbul Üniversitesi ; Zeynep Tül Akbal Süalp, Prof. Dr., Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi.