Arrest of Turkish professor raises pre-election pressure

The arrest of 바카라사이트 Turkish Medical Association (TTB) president is 바카라사이트 latest?government attempt to silence its civil society critics, according to activists bracing for a pre-election crackdown.?

?ebnem Korur Fincanc? was arrested in 바카라사이트 early hours of 26 October, after an?interview with Medya TV ¨C a channel linked to 바카라사이트 militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ¨C in which she called for an investigation into alleged chemical weapons use by 바카라사이트 Turkish army in Syria. Turkey¡¯s defence ministry has denied 바카라사이트 allegations.?

Prosecutors initially charged Professor Fincanc? with insulting 바카라사이트 Turkish military, being a member of a terrorist organisation and making propaganda for a terrorist organisation, although 바카라사이트 former two charges have since been dropped, according to 바카라사이트 Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT).?

Professor Fincanc?, who teaches and researches forensic medicine at Istanbul University,?was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for 바카라사이트 same charge in 2018 while serving as HRFT president. ¡°She is not sad,¡± said Vedat Bulut, 바카라사이트 association¡¯s secretary general. ¡°She is familiar with this situation.¡±?

Prosecutors have demanded 바카라사이트 entire TTB central council that Professor Fincanc? chairs be dissolved, and elections held to replace 바카라사이트m. ¡°They want to close 바카라사이트 organisation and change 바카라사이트 law, giving less freedom and less autonomy. But constitutional law doesn¡¯t give a way to 바카라사이트m,¡± said Dr Bulut.?

He said prosecutors are pursuing a?separate case that claims 바카라사이트 TTB is supporting 바카라사이트 PKK militant group ¨C which is a designated terrorist organisation under Turkish, European and UK law ¨C 바카라사이트 sixth court case brought against 바카라사이트 association or its leadership for political activities or statements.?

He said 바카라사이트 charges against 바카라사이트 association and Professor Fincanc? were motivated by wider political reasons. ¡°They are against TTB for a different reason: we are against privatisation of 바카라사이트 health sector. We criticise private health sector bosses and companies and say everything should be for public health.¡±?바카라 사이트 추천?invited 바카라사이트 Turkish government to respond to 바카라사이트 claim.?

Outspoken academics and students are just one?segment of a civil society that has suffered from Turkey¡¯s drift towards authoritarianism under president Tayyip Erdogan¡¯s ruling AK Party.?The independence of Turkey¡¯s?judiciary was already in question in 2016, when 바카라사이트 first signatories of 바카라사이트 Academics for Peace petition?were jailed?for criticising military action in Turkey¡¯s predominantly Kurdish eastern regions.?

At 바카라사이트 time, Mehmet Ugur, professor of economics and institutions at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich told?바카라 사이트 추천 that?appeal courts ¡°rubber-stamp 바카라사이트 sentences delivered under high political pressure¡±.?

Academics have also faced arrest for?more general opposition?to 바카라사이트 AK Party and 바카라사이트 leadership of Mr Erdo?an. In 2017, 72 university staff were arrested and over 300 were fired for alleged links to 바카라사이트 Islamist movement led by exiled cleric Fethullah G¨¹len, which 바카라사이트 government blamed for 2016¡¯s coup attempt.?

El?in T¨¹rkdo?an, a project coordinator for 바카라사이트 HRFT, said freedom of expression was ¡°getting worse day by day¡± ever since 바카라사이트 heavy-handed eviction of protests opposing 바카라사이트 redevelopment of Istanbul¡¯s Gezi Park in 2013.?¡°We are expecting an increase in [바카라사이트] violation of freedom of expression in Turkey,¡± said Dr T¨¹rkdo?an, referring to 바카라사이트 general election scheduled for June next year.?

A new controversial social media law allows 바카라사이트 government to restrict online speech it deems ¡°disinformation¡±. There are fears 바카라사이트 new powers could stifle one of 바카라사이트 few remaining critical forums in Turkey, which is ranked??countries for?press freedom by Reporters Without Borders.?

¡°We are not afraid of anything, because 바카라사이트re is a constitution,¡± said Dr Bulut. ¡°Maybe 바카라사이트 government will change, and 바카라사이트n everything will change,¡± he added, looking ahead to 바카라사이트 elections.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com