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Background of Academic Collapse: What happened in Turkey?

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Background of Academic Collapse: What happened in Turkey?

Abstract

Turkey was considered as a country which combined the democracy and secularism, at least in words, with its Muslim population. Justice and Development political party that came into power in 2002 drew a democratic image. At that time, Turkey had made remarkable process towards integration with European Union and widened the freedom in all area. But, in the course of time, R.T. Erdogan, the current President Turkey, has deeply dominated the whole party and became the only power. Erdogan’s and his close companions’ great triumph in referendum in 2010 and in general election in 2011 caused them to think that they had sufficient power to apply in the country whatever they want or how they want and they became rapidly autocratic. They declared their civil allies which supported them to fight against the military coup threat to establish the values of European Union, to amend the new regulations to be integrated with European Union’s norms and to broaden the freedom of humanity, freedom of speech, freedom of Journalism etc. as terrorists. Ironically, they became allies with the undercover powers that they fought against for years.

After the Gezi Park social protests in the spring of 2013 and 17-23 December corruption operations, later it is followed by serial investigations, the Gülen Movement, Liberals and some other democrats were called state enemies (traitor). Erdogan and his family were at the center of corruption and the evidences are based on a lot of undeniable and confidential hard materials. Those investigations were disposed and resulted in damage of Police Forces and Law-Justice Enforcement. As an excuse for their increasing autocracy, Gulen Movement was announced as a new traitor. The Witch Hunt was accelerated especially against the sympathizers of Gulen Movement after the very suspiciously organized Military Coup in July 15 of 2016 and continued with mass arrestments and dismissing from governmental institutions and confiscations of properties. The Authoritarian Regime that Erdogan has gained so far became completely official with the controversial referendum in 2017. Turkey is now in a dystopic position where everything is ruled and controlled by only one person. His statements and his actions are accepted as a rule and an order for all institutions, including Law-Enforcement.

From Military Autocratic Secularism to Social Supported Fascism

Turkey sounds when it is looked from outside, having the majority of its population Muslim but it have a secular constitution. In addition to that, it also seems that it has adopted the contemporary values such as, independency of law and superiority of democracy. The Justice and Development party that came to power in 2002 describes itself as conservative democrats.[1] Until 2011, it endeavored to establish European Union’s values and to provide more freedom for institutions in the country. At the beginning, the party had a very democratic style of speech but later, it turned out to be a leader party that everything belongs to only one person. Erdogan dominated everything in the party. The party that had variety of efficient politicians and intellectuals was taken under control by Erdogan and he remained the only political figure on stage. Many figures, as effective as Erdogan in the party (AKP), have resigned from their positions in party’s governance and disappeared forever. After 2011, The Justice and Development party has adopted rhetorically more Islamic, nationalistic and xenophobic understanding of political party management.[2] Erdogan, who was the prime minister between 2003 and 2014 and currently as a President, ruled the country alone, has reversed the acquired freedom and democratic values.[3],[4]

Turning Point: 2011 General Elections

A few important core factors can be accounted why he became so evasive about democracy. Erdogan and his team, who took into consideration that they strengthened their dominance in ruling the country by gaining 49%,5 of votes in 2011 general elections, has declared that they would separate themselves from those allies who supported them along the way of integrating with EU’s democratic values (Liberals, Gulen Movement, Liberal Democrats and some Kurdish Initiative Civil Groups). Erdogan has gradually terminated his relationships with those groups and his new allies became Undercover State Militants, Mafias, Racists and that sort of Groups.[5]

In that period, Erdogan and his partners have put those who prioritized democracy into state enemy category or traitor. In the spring of 2013, the social protests that began in Gezi Park were heavily used to consolidate his bases. Finally, the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country erupted in December 2013 with involvement of four ministries from his party with their children and Erdogan himself. Erdogan has called the investigation that targeted four ministries as a movement to topple the ruling government. He has kept Gulen Movement and its Lieder as responsible. After that occasion, he has understood that he could not run the country no more on democratic system because the evidences of corruption scandal were undeniably confidential and strong. He has ended that investigation by taking all Law-Enforcement under his power. [6],[7] After that Turkey has deviated from its course. They already announced in the spring 2014 that they would start new Juristic reforms in order to open thousands of court cases to carry on the Witch Hunt against Gulen Movement. They started that with mass interrogations of Journalists and the police forces by amending new laws. What is happening now in Turkey is the continued of what happened.[8],[9],[10],[11]

For Erdogan: “The God Blessing” Military Coup

In 15th of July, Turkey has experienced a very strange Military Coup. But it is better not to call it as a military coup, rather false flag operation. The unusual military coup thesis was used to accelerate to create a stronger dictatorship in the country. The Extraordinary State situation that lasted for two years has dismissed the constitution and paralyzed other currently working institution in the country. During this period, Erdogan has used additional authority that the government had provided him and the authority that the constitution had not provided him, effectively to create a stronger dictatorship. It is apparent that Erdogan has managed to get what he wanted with that false flag operation. A military coup could only be done for such kind of reason without allowing any independent commissions to investigate.[12],[13],[14],[15]

Erdogan’s coup has targeted all institutions in the country; First of all, highly respected and deeply influential establishments have been either confiscated or demolished, including Military, Courts, Supreme Court, Police Forces and Universities. Thousands of educational institutions and organizations have been either demolished or confiscated with new amendments during the State of Emergency Period. Thousands of firms at value in total more than 20 billion Dollars have been confiscated. During five years up until the beginning of 2019 approximately half millions of people have been arrested and kept into custody for months and some of them for years without any further investigations. Some of them have died during the custody due to the either unbearable prison conditions or lack of medicals. Turkey has now become the country which keeps the most number of Journalists and academics in the world. While they were torturing thousands of innocent people in prisons on one hand, and giving messages to the world that they are decisive to protect the democracy on the other hand. The worst of worst is that even outside the country, they did not allow international journalists to ask them questions freely and called those people who asked them questions either a terrorist or blamed them having the same speech with terrorists, at least those asking people are called Gulenist.[16],[17],[18],[19],[20]

Academia as a Primary Target

The new regime’s primary targets were Academia and Universities. Despite many restrictions in the Constitution of Turkey, about ten thousands academics were dismissed from their positions and most of them were arrested. The worst part of that was mass arrestment and dismissing was, either due to fear or worries, accepted and supported by the nation. What the academics have suffered is the part of what is happening in the country. The most astonishing point is that the rest of academia was silent, did not react and therefore failed in that process.[21],[22],[23] Different academics have appeared almost in all universities who denounced their own colleges for either personal vengeance or to be appointed to higher positions. The influenced people from the mass propaganda on one side and the ones who try to benefit from the situation are in remarkable number.[24] Was pathetic during that period is that some of the oppositions and social associations and foundation unions which always defend democracy and justice either supported or provoked the lawlessness and anti-democratic actions.

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/03/turkey-democracy-local-elections-akp-erdogan
  2. https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/06/03/how-democratic-is-turkey/
  3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17994865
  4. https://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/15/europe/turkey-erdogan-referendum-politics/index.html
  5. https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/comments/2014C44_srt.pdf
  6. http://world.time.com/2014/01/02/how-erdogans-troubles-are-good-for-turkish-democracy/
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/opinion/turkey-election-erdogan-ince.html
  8. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ekrem-dumanli-turkeys-witch-hunt-against-the-media/2015/01/01/7544429a-8fad-11e4-ba53-a477d66580ed_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.65140263cf6a
  9. https://stockholmcf.org/turkeys-erdogan-calls-for-expanded-witch-hunt-against-gulen-followers/
  10. https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/19/turkeys-witch-hunt-of-erdogan-rivals-only-just-starting.html
  11. https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Power-Erdogans-Witch-Abuse/dp/1935295772
  12. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/07/14/one-year-later-the-turkish-coup-attempt-remains-shrouded-in-mystery/?utm_term=.0811e04a9417
  13. https://www.aldrimer.no/nato-insiders-suspect-staged-turkey-coup/
  14. https://www.quora.com/Was-the-coup-in-Turkey-a-false-flag-operation-by-the-government-to-consolidate-power-over-military-and-courts
  15. http://www.aei.org/publication/turkish-officers-speak-erdogan-may-have-staged-coup/
  16. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/turkey
  17. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/turkey
  18. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/world/europe/turkey-emigration-erdogan.html
  19. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-42586115/turkish-president-erdogan-berates-french-journalist
  20. https://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-in-paris-journalists-are-gardeners-of-terrorism/a-42037145
  21. https://arsiv.toplumsal.com.tr/gundem/dort-akademisyeni-olduren-volkan-bayar-o-akp-linin-muhbiri-cikti-h19942.html
  22. http://www.tr724.com/katilin-isbirlikcilerine-sucustu/
  23. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/feto-davasi-tanigi-profesor-rektor-secimlerde-40490130
  24. https://www.sondakika.com/haber/haber-chp-li-altiok-tan-aciga-alinan-rektor-hoscoskun-la-9323116/

Background of Academic Collapse-2: What Happened in Turkish Universities?

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Abstract

Autonomy and employment security, which existed in partially in Turkish Universities, have been completely destroyed in the last five years. Since 1982, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has been working as a supervisor, accreditation and controller duties for universities. The Council of Higher Education not only has the authority to supervision universities but also has to manage directly, while the universities under the control of the President until 2014 and is directed by R. T. Erdogan, the President after that date. The President of the Council of Higher Education was dismissed by Erdogan in November 2014 as a first in the history of the Council of Higher Education. Step by step, there was put intense pressure over universities.

After the Corruption Operations in December 2013, the Gulenists became the primary target and declared a public enemy. As in all public institutions, witch hunt preparations were made in universities and lists were prepared. During this period, the foundation universities, which were close to the Gulen Movement, were also under intense pressure and faced many obstacles. At the beginning of 2016, Peace Academicians became the second target group in universities, which signed a declaration demanding to end intense conflicts in Kurdish-dominated cities in Southeast Anatolia. Until July 2016, the boards of trustees of the foundation universities were dismissed with absurd reasons and these institutions were tried to be seized.

The first Monday after the dubious “coup attempt” in July 2016, deans at all universities were dismissed or push to resigned. A week later, 15 foundation universities were closed down and 2808 academics were laid off on the basis of the state of emergency authority. In the next three years, 6021 academics from state universities were suspended from universities with the accusations of being a Gulenist or Peace Academician. Almost all the laid off academics were detained and many were arrested. For the next three years, these academics could not return to their jobs, even if they were not prosecuted or acquitted. They have been hindered from suing the courts and these blockades are still ongoing. Turkish universities have become institutions where there is no academic assurance, are under absolute control of power, and where deep fear is dominant. With all these factors, an intensive brain drain is going on to the democratic countries.

The Institution Indexed to the President: Academy

In this article, we are going to tell the short story of the collapse of autonomy and academic freedoms that was also partially in Turkish Universities. Universities in Turkey were partially autonomous institutions and state university employees were guaranteed job security in the Constitutional right until 2014. However the constitution was suspended after Corruption Operations in Turkey in 2013 December as de facto. All authority, even if it is not given by law, is in the hands of the executive. Thus, the independence of the courts and the partial autonomy of the universities disappeared. According to the current Constitution, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) controls and directs universities. This council was previously controlled by the President partly, at now totally![1],[2]

Before Erdoğan, the Presidents controlled universities indirectly through the Council of Higher Education and directly through rector assignments. If they wanted, they could dismiss the rectors with the proposal of YÖK. In the past, however, the Presidents acted according to custom and did not intervene directly in universities. Three months after becoming president, Erdogan, was dismissed the President of the Council of Higher Education Prof. Dr. Gökhan Çetinsaya in November 2014 and was replaced by Prof. Dr. Yekta Saraç who close to himself. This was an implementation that never existed before. Earlier Presidents did not dismiss even the Council of Higher Education Presidents, who clearly contradicted themselves, and waited until the end of their term. In this respect, Erdogan’s practices were purely aimed at creating pressure and intimidation. As a matter of fact, the Chairman of YÖK Supervisory Board was dismissed immediately after the questionable coup attempt.[3],[4]

With Erdogan’s presidency, pressure on university rectors has increased, and many university administrators and some rectors have been dismissed or forced to resign. No academician from Gulen movement could find new staff in universities. Those in administrative positions were removed from administrative positions. In this period, while the Constitution was not explicitly violated, academicians could not be expelled from their professions because they were explicitly declared in the Constitution. However, it was known by everyone that the liquidation lists were being prepared for all dissidents in different state institutions. From this date until July 2016, the oppression atmosphere all over the country increased gradually. A social scientist, Rumanian academician working in Turkey at that time, due to the comments in social media has been forced to leave Turkey and he was likened Turkish universities to Ceausescu’s Romania.[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]

At the end of 2013, Erdogan was accused of corruption and Erdogan declared war on the Gulen Movement after his corruption was red-handed. After that, all the institutions associated with the Gulen Movement began to be repressed, and 15 foundation universities were subjected to intense repression and inhibitions. During this period, YÖK was acting careful against the universities and clearly did not want to go outside the law. However, many public institutions have done their best to prevent and destroy these universities. Erdogan and his supporters’ media targeted these universities directly and asked students to leave them. They also faced numerous obstacles and pressures to their campuses, such as stopping the buses of municipal buses, canceling building permits, seizing the land they had already purchased from the treasury by paying their money and not allowing the construction of new buildings. The newspapers and televisions that directly controlled by the government launched campaigns to close these universities on target and newspapers and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and its President were threatened and called for duty![11],[12],[13],[14],[15]

Before the dubious “coup attempt” in July 2016, faculty members of some state and foundation universities were detained and others arrested. Prof.Dr. Bahattin Adam the former rector of Mevlana University and 23 academicians were detained and some of them were arrested with an operation in Konya. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Fatih Karaaslan former Rector of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University, Hasan İbicioğlu former Rector of Süleyman Demirel University and some academicians and the Rector of Şifa University Dr. Mehmet Ateş was arrested on charges of ”membership in a terrorist organization, corruption, forgery of documents”. The accusations were “creating a parallel state structure” and being a member of a terrorist organization but there was no terrorist incident, the detainees were already public servants and they were doing their job in this office where they get completely legally.[16],[17],[18],[19]

In January 2016, a group of academics who named by own “Scholars Initiative for Peace”, (reached totallt 2212 signature from home and abroad), signed a criticizing statement that the state’s use of excessive force to quell the violence in the Southeast and the destruction of cities and civilian death do military actions that result in. The government and its supporter media accused the academics signing this declaration for treason, and soon the process of detention, dismissal and trial of these academics began.[20],[21]

Wie die Daten zeigen, hat das Erdogan-Regime Ende 2015 andere Lösungen gefunden, um Universitäten mit Dissidenten-Stiftungen zu schließen oder zu übernehmen. They canceled the agreements of the hospitals of these universities with the Social Security Institution (SSI) or did not renew the expired ones. Many of these hospitals because of the SSI monopoly on health services in Turkey were closed. They demolished or closed some hospital and school buildings with allegations of unfounded zoning. In June 2016, the operation was conducted against the foundation universities. The organized courts assigned trustees to the foundation universities with improper excuses and dismissed the existing administrations. They changed the management of these universities by the trustees.[22],[23],[24],[25]

The Total Demolition of Academic Life: After July 2016

However, the public opinion did not accept that academics and people from other professions were declared terrorists without resorting to any violence and purely fictional allegations, and Erdogan and his team were in a very difficult situation. In the meantime, the coup attempt of July 15 Erdogan’s words “as a grace of God” has reached the help of a similar approach seen in Hitler’s world, Decree-Laws (Decree Laws) were issued. With the first decree published as if these universities had made a coup or had little interest in the coup, 15 foundation universities were closed and all of their assets were confiscated. Before and after the coup, many of the rectors and other directors of these universities were detained and arrested. Thousands of academics have been detained in the intervening period and many have been arrested. These academicians were banned from working in other public institutions with the Decree Law.[26],[27],[28],[29]

While these were happening in foundation universities, similar things took place in public universities. On the first Monday after the coup attempt (18 July 2016), YÖK dismissed all the deans. On the same day, they summoned a number of non-rectors, whom they had dismissed, to Ankara on the same day and instructed the discontinuation of faculty and administrative staff who were thought to be related to the Gulen Movement. Already on the same day, they dismissed four rectors and three of them were detained. Nearly two years ago, the Prime Minister of the period “we will do” that “witch hunt” has reached the desired speed. Thousands of faculty members expelled from universities were added to the old ones by the Decree Laws published at every step thereafter. In the last two years until July 2018, when the state of emergency was abolished just on paper, the number of expelled academicians working in public universities was 6081. Even those who have not been sued or acquitted are not allowed to work in public institutions, and they and their spouses cannot get passports or leave the country. Those who thought this “State of Emergency” would end in three months were badly mistaken. The resulting state of emergency after two years when the “new” Erdogan’s regime was a dictatorship in Turkey had been removed on paper and all outstandings are now ordinary things.[30],[31],[32],[33],[34],[35],[36],[37]

There was no basis for these actions are not legally in Turkey has turned into a complete genocide. Nearly 2500 academicians who lost their jobs from foundation universities, and more than 6.000 academicians from public universities were expelled. People were exposed to ill-treatment as “terrorists” only because of their thoughts, most of them were detained and some were arrested. They were hindered from applying to the court to return to their jobs by the Decree Law, and there was no longer a court in the country that could be called a “court”.[38],[39],[40],[41]

This process aimed at destroying the opposition academics in Turkey, unfortunately, was institutionalized and the list goes on. It is a necessity for academics who can reach to democratic countries and hold onto life to tell this process to the free world, especially academics. This stands as a task that we academics should have. Unfortunately, all of this is reflected in the Western public opinion is weak and inadequate. This initiative is trying to make the world public as clear as possible. Let’s hope they succeed.

  1. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/14/turkey-government-targeting-academics

  2. https://www.eurasiareview.com/07082018-turkey-academic-freedom-under-threat/

  3. https://www.memurlar.net/haber/488994/yok-baskani-cetinsaya-gorevden-alindi.html

  4. https://tr.sputniknews.com/turkiye/201607211024009972-yok-denetleme/

  5. https://www.aksam.com.tr/guncel/ksude-rektor-yardimcilari-istifa-etti/haber-300621

  6. https://www.haberler.com/mau-rektor-yardimcisi-prof-dr-yildirim-gorevinden-6868355-haberi/

  7. https://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/dicle-universitesinde-iki-profesor-istifa-etti

  8. https://www.cnnturk.com/haber/turkiye/mardin-artuklu-universitesi-rektoru-gorevden-uzaklastirildi

  9. https://www.timeturk.com/rektor-gorevden-alindi/haber-90158

  10. http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/171584-situation-of-academia-in-turkey-reminds-me-of-ceausescu-s-romania

  11. http://www.sivaspostasi.com.tr/haber/basbakan_erdogan_uyardi_cemaat_okullarini_birakin-2659.html

  12. https://www.sabah.com.tr/egitim/2015/01/28/erdogan-talimati-verdi-iste-paralel-yapi-okullari-eylem-plani

  13. http://beyazgazete.com/video/webtv/siyaset-3/basbakan-erdogan-okullara-ogrenci-bulamayacaksin-422890.html

  14. https://www.aksam.com.tr/guncel/erdoganin-cagrisi-okullarini-eritti/haber-473196

  15. https://www.memurlar.net/haber/581318/erdogan-dan-paralel-tabanina-son-uyari.html

  16. https://www.haberler.com/paralel-yapi-operasyonu-prof-dr-bahattin-adam-ve-7338596-haberi/

  17. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/suleyman-demirel-universitesi-eski-rektoru-hasan-ibicioglu-tutuklandi-40071200

  18. https://www.haberler.com/sutcu-imam-universitesi-eski-rektoru-tutuklandi-8431585-haberi/

  19. http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/sifa-universitesi-rektoru-tutuklandi

  20. https://barisicinakademisyenler.net

  21. https://www.timeturk.com/21-akademisyen-gozaltina-alindi/haber-112260

  22. https://www.yeniasir.com.tr/gundem/2016/01/02/21-hastane-sgk-kapsamindan-cikarildi

  23. https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/fatih-universitesine-kayyum-atandi,KfhO-ABUE0KHbzKBrB3lnw

  24. https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2016/07/04/8-universite-400-okula-kayyum-atandi

  25. https://www.cnnturk.com/turkiye/mevlana-universitesinin-bagli-oldugu-vakfa-kayyum-atandi

  26. http://bianet.org/bianet/ifade-ozgurlugu/198990-akademide-ihraclar-6-bin-81-e-yukseldi

  27. http://bianet.org/english/law/180165-university-chancellor-elections-lifted-erdogan-will-appoint-chancellors

  28. https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2016/08/06/meliksah-universitesinde-buyuk-operasyon

  29. https://bianet.org/bianet/hukuk/192792-kapatilan-fatih-universitesi-calisanlari-icin-gozalti-karari

  30. https://www.dw.com/tr/istanbul-ve-konyada-akademisyenlere-g%C3%B6zalt%C4%B1/a-19488257

  31. https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/yildiz-teknik-universitesinde-feto-operasyonu-70-akademisyen-gozaltinda,DXr4Q_7UxUWGU30PG4n2bQ

  32. http://www.sonangazetesi.com/haber/3533/5-ilde-31-akademisyen-gozaltina-alindi/

  33. https://www.gzt.com/haber/istanbul-universitesinde-feto-operasyonu-44-akademisyen-gozaltinda-2513986

  34. https://www.haberler.com/eski-rektor-prof-dr-savas-in-da-aralarinda-8670314-haberi/

  35. https://www.memurlar.net/haber/604340/izmir-katip-celebi-universitesi-nde-36-kisi-gozaltina-alindi.html

  36. https://www.aksam.com.tr/guncel/erciyes-universitesinde-100-personele-yakalama-karari/haber-542204

  37. https://www.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr/dicle-universitesine-buyuk-operasyon-77-gozalti-143645h.htm

  38. http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2016/07/20160723-8.htm

  39. https://stockholmcf.org/crackdown-on-education-sector-in-turkey-victimized-nearly-100000-teachers-and-academics/

  40. https://www.resetdoc.org/story/blow-blow-assault-academic-freedom-turkey/

  41. https://iamcr.org/news/travel-ban

(Art.No: 3.en)

Human Rights Violations

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Academics lay down their gowns during a protest against the dismissal of academics in Turkey, 2017.

Thousands of academics in Turkish universities stand accused of either having supported terrorism or the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July 2016. Theoretical physicist Ali Kaya is one of them. He was arrested three months after the failed coup and held for more than a year before his trial took place.

Am Donnerstag, 31. Oktober 2019, um 18 Uhr, spricht Generalkonsul a.D. und Autor Reiner Möckelmann zum Thema “Exil in der Türkei. Deutsche Akademiker nach 1933 in Istanbul und Ankara am Beispiel Ernst Reuters, Ernst E. Hirschs und Fritz Neumarks”

Strange Talks of a Professor at BBC

Some time ago, Prof. Gulnur Aybet, Erdogan’s consultant, had claimed on the BBC’s HardTalk programme that there was not a single journalist in Turkish prisons. When moderator Stephen Sackur asked her how many journalists were arrested, she tried to bypass the question. But when Sackur relentlessly repeated the question, she said: “There is not a single journalist in Turkish prisons”. Nobody in Turkey is behind bars because he is a journalist, Aybet said.


A Rector who recomends murder..

The academician Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akgündüz, known in Turkey as a conservative, has sentenced the arch-enemy of the Erdogan government, The Sympathising of the Gülen Movement, to death.