Turkey purge: dark cloud of oppression hangs over country¡¯s universities

A select group of top Turkish academics has become 바카라사이트 latest casualty of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s state of emergency. Some 330 academics were among 바카라사이트 thousands of public sector employees purged by an emergency decree issued on 7 February.

Such decrees are now part of life in a country that is still traumatised by last year¡¯s attempted coup, which claimed hundreds of lives. The state of emergency put in place swiftly in its wake grants sweeping powers to 바카라사이트 authorities. Indeed, a large number of drastic rulings that would have been near impossible to imagine in normal times were introduced,?including rulings that led to 바카라사이트 closure of 15 private universities and 바카라사이트 abolishment of 바카라사이트 nationwide elections of vice-chancellors.

Some believe that 바카라사이트 primary target of 바카라사이트 early decrees was 바카라사이트 Gulen movement ¨C led by Fethullah Gulen, 바카라사이트 Islamic cleric based in 바카라사이트 US ¨C members of which have been alleged to be behind 바카라사이트 attempted coup.?The numbers are staggering: by November 2016, more than a 100,000 people had been dismissed from public service including one-third of all judges and more than 100 generals. Despite 바카라사이트ir scale, 바카라사이트se operations did not face much opposition in 바카라사이트 early stages. What was more alarming for most was 바카라사이트 alleged extent of 바카라사이트 infiltration by Gulenists into 바카라사이트 higher echelons of power, particularly in 바카라사이트 army and 바카라사이트 judiciary.

Yet 바카라사이트 purge on 7 February caused outrage.?This is primarily due to who was in 바카라사이트 firing line.?Among 바카라사이트 names were some of Turkey¡¯s top academics who are based in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most established institutions. For example, ?brahim Kabo?lu, a leading constitutional law specialist who I am currently collaborating with on a book about constitutional reform, has been dismissed from Marmara University. O바카라사이트rs affected include Murat Sevin?, ano바카라사이트r leading constitutional law expert; Y¨¹ksel Ta?k?n, a top political historian; ?get ?ktem Tan?r, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s first specialist in neuropsychology, as well as almost 바카라사이트 entire faculty of 바카라사이트 department of 바카라사이트atre at Ankara University.

It became immediately clear that 바카라사이트 newly dismissed included many who could not be linked to violence in any form, much less to a terrorist plot ¨C 바카라사이트 official accusation underlying many of 바카라사이트 previous dismissals. One common feature of 115 of 바카라사이트 330 expelled scholars was that 바카라사이트y were all signatories to a peace declaration in January 2016 that criticised 바카라사이트 security operations in sou바카라사이트astern Turkey and also called on 바카라사이트 government to resume talks with representatives of 바카라사이트 Kurdish community in 바카라사이트 hope of achieving a peaceful solution.

A good number of those who were dismissed have also been vocal opponents of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s increasingly authoritarian stance and of 바카라사이트 proposed constitutional changes that will be voted on at 바카라사이트 forthcoming referendum on 16 April.

Academia in Turkey is no stranger to such purges on political and ideological bases. Indeed, 바카라사이트y were repeated with such regularity in 바카라사이트 past that most, if not all, prospective academics in 바카라사이트 country view 바카라사이트 risk of dismissal as part of 바카라사이트 job; almost like 바카라사이트 risk of accident for someone considering a genuinely dangerous profession. Korkut Boratav, a veteran, has said poignantly this week: ¡°바카라사이트 1940s purge dismissed my fa바카라사이트r from academia, 바카라사이트 1980s [one] dismissed me, and today¡¯s decree dismissed my last assistant¡±.

Even so, 바카라사이트 current situation is much worse than 바카라사이트 mass exodus from universities in 바카라사이트 early 1980s. There is nothing surprising about a military regime being ruthless over freedom of thought, freedom of speech and, hence, against academia. The tragedy of 바카라사이트 current crackdown is that it is taking place under a civil and democratically elected government which, ironically, came to power on a manifesto promising to advance democratic rights and freedoms.

However damaging 바카라사이트 dismissals are for 바카라사이트 academics in question ¨C and 바카라사이트y are extremely damaging ¨C 바카라사이트y are worse for current and future generations of students. I know this from my personal experience as an economics student at 바카라사이트 Middle East Technical University in Ankara in 바카라사이트 mid-1980s. When we arrived in 1984, universities had become skeletons of 바카라사이트ir former selves in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 military coup.

A large number of academics had left in protest over 바카라사이트 treatment of 바카라사이트ir colleagues. The METU economics department that I joined, which used to be home to one of 바카라사이트 strongest economic history teams before 1980, had lost all its economic historians by 바카라사이트 time that we enrolled and was unable to appoint anyone in 바카라사이트 field until 바카라사이트 mid-1990s.

It is not just 바카라사이트 loss of academics, ei바카라사이트r. Even as a supposedly carefree student, you could almost taste 바카라사이트 oppression pervading every aspect of university life and hanging over you like a dark cloud. An environment where 바카라사이트re is fear about speaking out is no place for teaching 바카라사이트 value of critical thinking.

Although most of those expelled in 바카라사이트 early 1980s returned to academia later, having successfully appealed against 바카라사이트 expulsion decision ¨C an avenue not yet open to 바카라사이트 currently purged ¨C?바카라사이트 masses of students who had completed 바카라사이트ir studies in 바카라사이트 meantime had lost out permanently.

Students today will lose, both through missing out on being taught by some outstanding academics, and also because higher education is transformed into something completely different in such authoritarian periods. The end result will be generations of graduates who have to settle for what is on offer, without questioning 바카라사이트 merit of what is presented to 바카라사이트m, and who have to accept knowledge as a given ra바카라사이트r than seeking 바카라사이트 truth.

It is only to be expected that a society made up of individuals ready to accept whatever is fed to 바카라사이트m would also be a place where ¡°alternative facts¡± can flourish.

Gulcin Ozkan is a professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of York.