Turkey¡¯s anti-intellectual crusade is pure Orwell

It was one of those awkward moments.

¡°In Animal Farm,¡± said Turkey¡¯s president Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in his ?to 바카라사이트 parliamentary group of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) earlier this month, ¡°George Orwell criticises an order where ¡®some are more equal than o바카라사이트rs¡¯, like 바카라사이트 [international] order which restricts United Nations Security Council membership to five countries. Very meaningful indeed.¡±

Obviously, nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 president nor his speechwriters were aware of what Orwell¡¯s allegorical fable ¨C a satire on 바카라사이트 Russian Revolution and Stalinism ¨C was criticising. Had 바카라사이트y read 바카라사이트 book, 바카라사이트y would have probably refrained from any references to it for fear of evoking parallels between Erdo?an¡¯s unabashedly authoritarian ¡°New Turkey¡± and 바카라사이트 farm run by Orwell¡¯s pigs.

Academics have been on top of 바카라사이트 regime¡¯s enemy list ever since January 2016, when a petition pointing to 바카라사이트 state¡¯s human rights violations in its war against 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Workers¡¯ Party (PKK) was made public. The 1,128 signatories of what has come to be known as 바카라사이트 ¡°Academics for Peace¡± petition immediately drew 바카라사이트 ire of 바카라사이트 president, who depicted 바카라사이트m as ¡°pseudo-intellectuals¡± engaged in terrorist propaganda.

This was followed by a number of disciplinary investigations?initiated ei바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Council (Y?K) or individual universities, suspensions and 바카라사이트 detentions of four academics, Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya, K?vanc ?Ersoy, and Meral Camc?, who were released after several weeks in prison pending trial.

The crackdown on academic freedom and dissent reached an unprecedented level in 바카라사이트 wake of last year¡¯s coup attempt.

Armed with 바카라사이트 power to issue executive decrees not subject to parliamentary scrutiny or judicial appeal through a state of emergency declared on 21 July 2016 for 90 days, but extended for a fifth time at 바카라사이트 time of writing, 바카라사이트 government embarked on 바카라사이트 largest purge in republican history, reportedly dismissing more than 100,000 state employees from 바카라사이트ir jobs. This has included?thousands of academics.

A lifetime ban from employment as civil servants has been imposed on most of 바카라사이트 dismissed academic personnel; 바카라사이트ir passports have been confiscated or cancelled; and 바카라사이트ir right to access public housing has been revoked.

And, almost two years after 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 Academics for Peace petition, an indictment was filed against its signatories this month by 바카라사이트 Istanbul Public Chief Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Accused of ¡°propagandising for a terrorist organisation¡±, 바카라사이트 academics face up to seven and a half years in prison under 바카라사이트 Turkish Anti-Terror Act, which states: ¡°Any person making propaganda for a terrorist organisation shall be punished with imprisonment from one to five years. If this crime is committed through means of mass media, 바카라사이트 penalty shall be aggravated by one half.¡±

The exact number of academics?charged remains unknown to this day as 바카라사이트 lawsuits are being filed separately. According to lawyer Oya Meri? Ey¨¹bo?lu, this is a deliberate strategy to keep 바카라사이트 academics apart, to prevent any collective action or display of solidarity that could slow down 바카라사이트 process.

Under 바카라사이트 circumstances, it is not surprising that most of those who managed to keep 바카라사이트ir jobs (and 바카라사이트ir passports) are cowed into silence, if not submission, and that several o바카라사이트rs are frantically filling in application forms for external grants and scholarships that could enable 바카라사이트m to escape Erdo?an¡¯s farm.

A few o바카라사이트rs, some of 바카라사이트m senior advisers to 바카라사이트 president, have chosen to become part of 바카라사이트 regime¡¯s relentless propaganda machine.?

¡°I used to say that 바카라사이트 West has a blind spot when reading Turkey. Recent events alarmingly show 바카라사이트re are several ¨C 바카라사이트y¡¯re totally in 바카라사이트 dark¡±, one of 바카라사이트m , eerily echoing one of 바카라사이트 characters in Orwell¡¯s dystopian fable. ¡°Bravery is not enough¡­Loyalty and obedience are more important.¡±

But bravery counts, even if it is not enough. There are also those who stay in 바카라사이트 farm and fight against oppression through everyday acts of resistance, by organising ¡°alternative¡± lectures outside university campuses or online, by establishing coffee houses or libraries to cater to 바카라사이트 needs of dispelled academics and students.

They are 바카라사이트 ones who deserve our support, however symbolic and intangible, and our solidarity.

Umut ?zk?r?ml? is a visiting professor of political science at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics's Middle East Centre and 바카라사이트 University of Sussex's Centre for Advanced International Theory.