Judith Butler and Başak Ertür - In Turkey, academics asking for peace are accused of terrorism
Last week the trials
began in Istanbul of those who signed the Academics
for Peace petition in January 2016. A total of 148 trials are scheduled
through to May 2018, with new trials expected to be announced in the near
future. Each focuses on a single individual, but the indictment is the same for
all of them. If they are found guilty, each signatory faces a prison sentence
of up to seven-and-a-half years. In the petition,
entitled “We will not be a party to this crime”, more than 2,000 signatories
sought a negotiated solution to the military conflict between the Turkish
state and the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK). At a time of heavy
clashes in Turkey’s Kurdish-populated towns, the petitioners objected to the
continuation of violence against the Kurdish people, called for an end to the
round-the-clock curfews that deprived the population of necessary provisions,
and asked that the Turkish government resume talks with the PKK that the
government itself had previously inaugurated. The petition referenced violations
of international law and basic democratic principles, and accused the
government of “deliberate and planned massacre and deportation”.
International
solidarity is once again crucial at this time
Our colleagues in Turkey are
facing criminal trials
Nearly 500 academics
who signed have already lost their positions with no prospect of working again;
some are now subject to travel bans; and some had their passports revoked,
preventing them from working in Turkey or abroad. What is the substance
of the indictments? The public prosecutor accuses the academics of “making
propaganda for a terrorist organisation” under article 7/2 of the Turkish
anti-terror act. The petition’s call to cease violence and comply with
international law is taken by the state to be “propaganda” for the PKK. The
indictment offers no careful reading of the actual petition. Most strange,
then, that the indictment begins with the petition, citing it verbatim, and
then concludes, without any argument, that it is a declaration that supports
the PKK.
This is a wilful
distortion and reversal of the clear meaning of the petition. In fact, the
petition calls for a peaceful settlement, therefore it clearly does not affirm
the violent aims and actions of any Kurdish group. And yet that word “peace”
becomes code for “terrorism”.. Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/11/erdogan-turkey-academics-terrorism-violence-kurdish-people