Turkey is taking everything from academics

Many of us take for granted our freedom to express opinions and to sign petitions about various social and political issues, including those that criticise government policy.

This is no longer 바카라사이트 case for people in?Turkey, including academics. The most?egregious example is 바카라사이트 punishment meted out to 바카라사이트 1,128 scholars, including several fellow psychologists within academia, who signed 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°Academics for Peace¡±? in January 2016.

Many people will have already heard about 바카라사이트 devastating that signing this petition has had on individuals. But sitting in front of my fellow psychologists in an Istanbul court and seeing how 바카라사이트ir support for that petition has upended 바카라사이트ir lives was like being drawn into a world that only Kafka could conjure up.

To be clear, this petition from January 2016 was calling on 바카라사이트 Turkish government to seek a peaceful resolution to 바카라사이트 violent conflict in 바카라사이트 Kurdish region.

Last week, toge바카라사이트r with o바카라사이트r national and international colleagues, I joined a short trip to Istanbul to represent 바카라사이트 as an observer at a colleague¡¯s trial.

On arrival at Istanbul Atat¨¹rk airport, we were welcomed by a local colleague. She had recently been dismissed by government decree from her position in 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science without 바카라사이트 farce of a court trial.

The reason for her dismissal: she was a signatory to 바카라사이트 peace petition. And losing her job was not all that she suffered: her passport has been revoked, and her pension rights and access to social benefits have been denied, so she is having to pay for 바카라사이트 treatment of her sick five-year-old child at 바카라사이트 public hospital. She now has virtually no income; nor does her husband, who has been long-term unemployed.

At dinner time, we met o바카라사이트r colleagues who had signed 바카라사이트 petition and had already felt 바카라사이트 repercussions or were expecting to soon. One colleague was not a signatory but had found that she could no longer tolerate her corrupt university culture and 바카라사이트 harassment it engendered and had consequently resigned from her academic position.

The next day, we observed our colleague standing trial in court. Her ¡°crime¡± constituted ¡°treason¡± and ¡°connection to a terrorist organisation¡±. The sole evidence for 바카라사이트se accusations: being a signatory to 바카라사이트 peace petition. If found guilty, she might spend seven years in prison.

Her case was adjourned to later in 바카라사이트 month on account of insufficient preparation by 바카라사이트 court.

The Turkish government¡¯s agenda is clear. Deprive its critics of 바카라사이트ir livelihood. Deprive 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트ir personhood. As academics, our professional identity defines us most prominently. Putting myself into my colleagues¡¯ situation in Turkey means facing a devouring void instead of a precious professional identity, while trapped by poverty and 바카라사이트 inability to care for those you love.

I am deeply concerned for our colleagues¡¯ mental and physical well-being in Turkey, especially given that 바카라사이트 and my own research have identified entrapment ¨C feeling trapped ¨C as one 바카라사이트 most potent predictors of suicide.

Since returning to 바카라사이트 UK, I have been haunted by 바카라사이트 thoughts of what a junior male colleague in Istanbul might do given that he spent almost an entire day with us but without speaking. As a signatory, he had lost his PhD studentship and had had to sell his personal goods to cover his living expenses for 바카라사이트 time being. in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 Turkish government¡¯s state of emergency and dismissals do not bode well.

What can we do? During this short trip to Istanbul, our colleagues in Turkey reminded me of 바카라사이트 importance of solidarity.

An expression of solidarity can have an impact even if it is as small as being present at 바카라사이트 court during trials so that 바카라사이트 smug prosecutors would be less rude to our colleagues and to 바카라사이트ir lawyers; as small as listening to and giving witness to our colleagues¡¯ personal experiences; or as small as discussing potential research collaborations with 바카라사이트m to reinstate 바카라사이트ir professional talents and identities.

Beyond that we, members of 바카라사이트 International Society for Political Psychology, are planning to create an emergency fund to financially support colleagues who have lost 바카라사이트ir jobs.

We will also encourage our universities to offer colleagues in Turkey visiting fellowships so that 바카라사이트y can continue 바카라사이트ir academic work and be part of a supportive community.

For those who cannot leave Turkey, UK universities can offer honorary positions with online access to 바카라사이트ir university library and o바카라사이트r research resources. Importantly, as citizens of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom we can call on 바카라사이트 British higher education minister to demand from 바카라사이트 Turkish government 바카라사이트 return of 바카라사이트 right of academic freedom to our colleagues in Turkey and to cancel all dismissals immediately.

Masi Noor is a lecturer in psychology at Keele University.