Duygu Erol/JINHA

ANKARA – The academics were arrested after they signed a petition “We will not be a party to this crime” in January calling for an end to violence. The friends of the academics called the people over Çağlayan Courthouse for their friends. Prof. Dr. Funda Başaran Özdemir is one of these friends who called the people, who want peace and democracy in Turkey over Çağlayan Courthouse.

After war policies have launched in Kurdistan, more than 2,000 academics signed a petition in January criticizing military action in the southeast, including round-the-clock curfews. Some academics have been arrested and are being held in prison on suspicion of ‘making terrorist propaganda’, after they signed a petition in January calling for an end to violence in Turkey’s southeast. Psychologist Esra Mungan at Boğaziçi University, mathematician Kıvanç Ersoy from Mimar Sinan University, political scientist Muzaffer Kaya from Nişantaşı University and Assist. Prof. Dr. Meral Camcı from Yeni Yüzyıl University were arrested and are being held in prison. The hearing of these academics will be held on April 22 (tomorrow). The friends of academics called on all people, who want peace and democracy in Turkey, to be in Çağlayan Courthouse tomorrow.

Assoc. Dr. Latife Akyüz from Düzce University is one of these academics those who signed the petition and she was expelled from university after signing the declaration. Latife said, “Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy, Muzaffer Kaya and Meral Camcı are our honor. We signed the same petition. However, they were selected as scapegoat. We’ll demolish the walls from outside and they’ll demolish the walls from inside.”

“April 22 is a very important day,” said Prof. Dr. Funda Başaran and continued to speak by saying, “Freedom of expression, freedom of thought and freedom of the academy become inevitable to produce knowledge that we shared with our students not only provide them with occupation but also ensure they are ready for the life. Before we did this with love and fondly.”

Funda called all academics and people, who ask peace and democracy in Turkey to attend the trial.

Prof. Dr. Işıl Önal said, “We gave our word that we’ll do our best for peace and we still stand behind our word. We defend the academic and expression freedom. We call all people to support the acedemics.”

(sy/gd)