Statement of Solidarity with Academics in Turkey

We, academics from the University of Amsterdam, are deeply concerned about the continued attacks on academic freedom and on critical academics in Turkey which the Turkish government has escalated in recent days.

With the latest decree from February 7, issued under the state of emergency, another 330
academics were fired from their universities under the pretense that they support terrorism. This
latest attack on Turkish academia has primarily hit Ankara University – one of the leading
universities in social sciences and humanities in Turkey – and signatories of the "Academics
for Peace" declaration: Out of the 330 who lost their job, exactly half (115) were signatories of
the declaration calling for a stop to the government’s security operations in south-eastern
Turkey, which have a disastrous impact on the Kurdish civilian population.
On February 10, the police used excessive force against students and faculty protesting the most
recent decision of the government, using tear gas at close range, beating peaceful protesters and
arresting several academics.

With its actions the government claims to fight terrorism, but unmistakably the measures
deployed are calculated to outlaw dissent - specifically from the intelligentsia and among
academics. Many of those who were fired are recognized as leading academics in their fields
and no evidence has been provided for the claim that they have been supporting terrorism.
Whether those affected will be able to appeal the decision that ended their career is entirely
unclear. In addition, the passports of the dismissed academics and of their family members have
been cancelled, imposing a de facto travel ban on them.

In light of these alarming developments, we urge our colleagues at the University of Amsterdam
and in the international academic community

• to stand in solidarity with their colleagues who have been dismissed and are under attack
from their government and the police,
• to continue to express this solidarity publicly, and to persist in defending academic
freedom whenever and wherever it comes under attack,
• to support those political and civil society organizations in Turkey which protest the
government’s increasingly oppressive policies,
• to provide institutional support for dismissed and threatened Turkish academics through
visiting scholarships, emergency programs, and other means,
• to urge our national governments and international organizations to fearlessly hold the
Turkish government accountable for its persistent violations of human and civil rights,
academic freedom and the rule of law.

Signatories
Dr. Robin Celikates, Philosophy/ASCA
Özgür Yalçın, Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Aylin Kuryel, Literary Studies/ASCA
Peyman Amiri, Philosophy/ASCA
Prof. Dr. Joseph Früchtl, Philosophy/ASCA
Prof. Dr. Joep Leerssen, MEL
Nur Özgenalp, Media Studies/ASCA
Prof. Dr. Yolande Jansen, Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Else Vogel, AISSR
Pieter Pekelharing, Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Thomas Poell, Media Studies/ASCA
Dr. Jitske Jasperse, History
Dr. Jan Lazardzig, Theater Studies/ASH
Dr. Robert Knegt, Faculty of Law
Eva Meijer, Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Eloe Kingma, ASCA
Prof. dr. em. Frank Veltman, Logic, ILLC
Dr. Annika Rulkens, Art History
Prof. Em. Veit Bader, Philosophy & Sociology
Dr. Eef Masson, Media Studies/ASCA
Bernardo Caycedo, Philosophy/ASCA
Hao Wang Philosophy/ASCA
Prof. dr. Frans Jacobs, Philosophy
Dr. Jaap Maat, Philosophy

Dr. Paul Dekker, Philosophy/ILLC
Prof. Dr. Robert van Rooij, ILLC
Dr. Gijs van Donselaar, Philosophy
Dr. Hanne De Jaegher, Philosophy
Prof. Dr. René Boomkens, Cultural Studies
Laura Boerhout, AHM
Prof. Dr. Eric Schliesser, Political Science/AISSR
Dr. Toni Pape, Media Studies
Latara Schellen, Cultural Analysis
Natasha Basu, Philosophy/ASCA
Selçuk Balamir, ASCA
Dr. Natalie Scholz, History/ASH
Dr. K.V.Q. Vintges, Philosophy
Dr. Joost de Bloois, Literary and Cultural Analysis
Prof. Dr. Beate Roessler, Philosophy
Jan Overwijk, ASCA
Dr. Aukje van Rooden Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Albert van der Schoot, Philosophy
Dr. Sybrandt van Keulen, Philosophy
A. de Jong, Neerlandistiek
Dr Enzo Rossi, Political Science, AISSR
Dr. Rachel Spronk, AISSR
Dr. Erella Grassiani, Anthropology
Janus Oomen, AISSR
Prof. Dr. Guy Geltner, History/ASH

Annerienke Fioole, Anthropology/AISSR
Dr. Federica Russo, Philosophy
Prof. Dr. Joop de Jong, AISSR
Laura Vermeulen, Anthropology
Dr. Esther Miedema, GPIO
Alexander Thinius, Philosophy/ASCA
Peyman Jafari, PPLE
Dr. Esther Peeren, ASCA
Prof. Dr. Jeroen de Kloet, Media Studies
Simon Ferdinand, ASCA
Dr. Justus Uitermark, Sociology
Dr. Patrick Brown, Sociology
Robert Davidson, AISSR
Dr. Olav Velthuis, Sociology
Marina Tulin, Sociology
Dr. Gözde Onaran, Media Studies/ASCA
A. Dekker, Media Studies
Dr. Jaap Kooijman, ASCA
Matilda Hemming, Cultural Analysis/ASCA
Rossitsa Borkowski, Philosophy/ASCA
Prof. Dr. Giovanna Fossati, ASCA
Dr. Jan Teurlings, Media Studies
Dr. Ben Moore, English
Dr. Fabiola Camuti, Theatre Studies/ASCA
Jakko Kemper, ASCA

Nadia de Vries, ASCA
Prof. Dr. Hugo van der Velden, History of Art
Dr. Huub van Baar, Political Science
Lieve de Coninck, Anthropology
Dr. Sruti Bala, Theatre Studies
Pawel Banas, Anthropology/AISSR
Niels ten Oever, Media Studies
Michel Ottens, Media Studies
Asli Ozgen-Tuncer, ASCA
Charlotte Albers, Political Sociology
Dr. Marjan Nijborg, ASCA
Dr. Jan Rock, Dutch Studies/ASH
Dr. James Gledhill, Philosophy/ASCA
Dr. Erik Laeven, Media Studies
Dr. Raheel Dhattiwala, Sociology
Sabrina Stallone, ASCA
Prof. Dr. Jan Rath, Sociology
Dr. Stefan Niklas, Philosophy/ASCA
Prof. Dr. Ieme van der Poel, ASCA
Prof. Dr. Ellen Rutten, Literature
Florian Göttke, ASCA
Dr. Mutsumi Karasaki, Political Sociology
Dr. Jules Sturm, Literary and Cultural Analysis
Sarah Bracke, Political Sociology
Dr. P. Eversmann, Theatre Studies

Dr. M.C. Wilkinson, Media and Culture
Dick Zijp, Theatre Studies
Vesna Vravnik, ASCA
Angela Grooten, Philosophy
Dr. Leone de Voogd, Psychology
Marta Olesik, ASCA
Eveline Citron-Schlatmann, Slavic Languages
Prof. Dr. Kati Röttger, Theatre Studies
Bram Overbeeke, Media Studies
Eric Metz, Slavic Languages and Cultures
Dr. Carolyn Birdsall, Media Studies/ASCA
Dr. Johannes van der Tak, Slavic Languages
Dr. Trijsje Franssen, Philosophy
Matt Cornell, ASCA
Dr. Rineke van Daalen, Sociology
Dr. Ihab Saloul, Cultural Studies
Nine Yamamoto-Masson, ASCA
Dan Leberg, Media Studies
Aldo Roma, ASCA
Dr. Niall Martin, Literary and Cultural Analysis/ASCA
Dr. Boris Noordenbos, ASCA
Dr. Timothy Yaczo,Literary and Cultural Analysis
Dr. Stephan Besser, ASCA
Matthijs Jonker, Philosophy and Cultural Sciences
Marloes Geboers, Media Studies/ASCA