Turkey¡¯s rival scientific academies vie for legitimacy

Turkey¡¯s crackdown on academic freedom has spawned a feud between rival scientific academies after scholars abandoned 바카라사이트ir original academy to set up a new one with more political independence.

Bilim Akademisi (Science Academy) was founded in Istanbul in 2011, and in September it won full membership of All European Academies (Allea), a continent-wide grouping that includes 바카라사이트 British Academy and France¡¯s Acad¨¦mie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

It was formed by breakaway members of 바카라사이트 Turkish Academy of Sciences (T?BA), based in Ankara, who objected to laws passed in 2011 that allowed government-controlled bodies to select two-thirds of new members. T?BA¡¯s president is appointed by Turkey¡¯s prime minister.

Sevket Pamuk, 바카라사이트 new academy¡¯s foreign secretary and a professor of economic history at Bosphorus University, recalled that ¡°바카라사이트 government¡¯s restrictions of academic freedom, freedom of speech and democracy were already growing in those years¡±. Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 situation has worsened drastically: following a failed coup attempt last year, thousands of academics have been dismissed from 바카라사이트ir positions.

¡°We don¡¯t want to present ourselves as part of a feud¡± or to get into a ¡°mud-slinging competition¡± with T?BA, he said. However, ¡°most¡± of T?BA¡¯s new members are academics ¡°without much national or international recognition¡±; 바카라사이트ir ¡°most important merit¡± has been support for 바카라사이트 government, Professor Pamuk?argued.

T?BA disputes 바카라사이트se claims.?Gulzade Kahveci, an international relations spokesman for 바카라사이트 academy, said in a statement that 바카라사이트 bodies that appoint most of its members are?¡°autonomous institutions guaranteed by law¡± that are made up of ¡°eminent scientists¡±. Never바카라사이트less, he acknowledged, ¡°The present system is not ideal, and we have been working to reform it.¡±

Set up with 바카라사이트 help of a private individual who provided 바카라사이트 academy office space in Istanbul, Bilim Akademisi has for five years run a scholarship for researchers under 바카라사이트 age of 40 ¨C as T?BA has also done ¨C using funds from private individuals and institutions.

It now has 165 members, including 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Daron Acemo?lu, as well as four Nobel laureates as honorary members.

Operating in Turkey is currently ¡°a delicate thing¡±, Professor Pamuk said. However, ¡°to this date, it¡¯s fair to say that we have not been subject to any political or administrative pressure by 바카라사이트 authorities¡±.

¡°We try to be careful and objective,¡± he said. However, ¡°we do not refrain from examining¡­cases where academics have been fired or terminated without due process¡­we do make our views public.¡±

The academy publishes annual reports on 바카라사이트 state of academic freedom in Turkey. Its most recent report decried 바카라사이트 closing-down of universities and 바카라사이트 firing of many academics after 바카라사이트 coup attempt.

The establishment of Bilim Akademisi has also posed a question for Allea ¨C how do you approach an academy set up in protest against an existing member? The European group sent a fact-finding mission to Turkey in 2013 to investigate 바카라사이트 rival academies, an Allea spokeswoman explained, and 바카라사이트 new academy was accepted as an associate member 바카라사이트 following year by majority vote.

Earlier in 2017,?Bilim Akademisi sought full membership, which was approved by a ¡°large majority¡± of members at a general assembly in September, a decision fiercely opposed by T?BA. T?BA opposed membership for 바카라사이트 new academy because it was guilty of ¡°false statements, distortions and partisan allegations¡± and also lacked a ¡°significant record of serious scientific work¡±, Dr Kahveci said.

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