Arbitrary detention of 20 university academics and researchers

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Association (IHD)and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) about the arbitrary detention of 20university academics and researchers[1]across the country, among whom Mr. M.D. Ümit Biçer, HRFT Board Member andprofessor at the Kocaeli University.

According to the information received, on January 15, 2016 ananti-terrorism police operation targeting more than 1.000 academics in Turkeywho had signed a statement denouncing state violence on Kurdish provinces waslaunched, leading to the detention of 20 of them. The academics are being investigatedunder laws prohibiting “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and the”denigration of the Turkish Nation”. Later on the same date, all academics were released but may face theabove-mentioned charges.

On January 11, 2016, more than 1,400 academics in Turkey and abroad,including Mr. M.D. Ümit, published a statement led by Academics for Peaceentitled “We will not be a Party to This Crime”. The statement expressesconcern that the ongoing curfews, which have been declared in several citiesacross South East Turkey, are exposing their inhabitants to severe human rightsviolations, and asks that they are immediately lifted and that solutions for apermanent peace process be established. Furthermore, it calls the State ofTurkey to put an end to the violence and prepare the conditions for thenegotiations. However, soon after its publication, President Recep TayyipErdoğan heavily criticised the academics and compared them to terrorists. In apublic speech made on January 15, 2016, President Erdoğan referred to theacademics as “the darkest of dark” and accused them of having committed “thesame crime as those who carry out massacres”. Earlier last week, the Presidentcalled the academics the “fifth column” for terrorists. In addition, severalacademics have also reportedly received threats via social media and bytelephone, including by nationalist mafia boss Sedat Peker, who has publiclythreatened the group saying: “we will bathe in your blood”.

The arrest of the academics takes place against the backdrop of thedeteriorating human rights situation in Turkey. The authorities have launched awide-range anti-terrorism operation,started in late July 2015 under the pretext of countering terrorism. In this context, at least 58 curfews have beenimposed in several cities in South East Turkey (Cizre, Sirnak, Sur, Mardin,Diyarbakir, Hakkâri, Muş, Elazığ and Batman), leading to restrictions in accessto basic services for approximately 1,377,000 people living in these districtsand to the death between August 16, 2015 and January 9, 2016, of at least 162civilians (including 29 women, 32 children, 24 people aged over 60)[2].

The operation turned into a massive crackdown against peaceful civilsociety actors depicted as “terrorist networks”. This campaign has beentargeting dozens of peaceful activists who have been involved in the monitoringof human rights violations resulting from anti-terrorism operations andadvocating for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue. These peacefulactivists include human rights defenders, particularly HRFT and İHD members,lawyers, political party representatives and journalists[3].

The Observatory calls upon the Turkish authorities to put an end to theongoing harassment of human rights defenders, including academic figures, andto drop all charges against them, since they are arbitrary as they only aim atsanctioning their human rights activities.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities in Turkey, urging them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychologicalintegrity of all human rights defenders in Turkey,including academics;

ii. Drop all charges against all academics andrelease immediately and unconditionally all human rights defenders currently indetention, since their detention is arbitrary as it only aims at curtailingtheir their human rights activities;

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judiciallevel, against the 20 academics and all human rights defenders in Turkey;

iv. Put an end to the crackdown on civil society under the pretext ofcountering terrorism and recognise the legitimate role of human rightsdefenders in line with Turkey’s international commitments;

v. Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration onHuman Rights Defenders, in particular with:

- its Article 1, which provides that “everyone has the right,individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for theprotection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at thenational and international levels”;

- its Article 6(a-b-c), which foresees that “everyone has the right,individually and in association with others, (a) to participate in peacefulactivities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, (b) asprovided for in human rights and other applicable international instruments,freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information andknowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms, (c) to study, discuss,form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of allhuman rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means,to draw public attention to those matters”;

- its Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take allnecessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities ofeveryone, individually and in association with others, against any violence,threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure orany other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exerciseof the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

vi. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamentalfreedoms in accordance with international human rights standards andinternational instruments ratified by Turkey.

Addresses:

• President of Turkey, Recep TayyipErdoğan, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi 06560 Beştepe-Ankara, Tel: (+90 312) 525 5555, Fax: (+90 312) 525 58 31, E-mail: contact@tccb.gov.tr

• Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu,Vekaletler Caddesi Başbakanlık Merkez Bina, 06573 Kızılay / Ankara ; Tel:(0312) 422 10 00 ; Fax: +90 (312)403 62 82 ; Email: ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr

• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Feridun H.Sinirlioğlu, No: 8 Balgat / Ankara - Turkey 06100; Tel : +90 (312) 292 10 00

• Minister of Justice, Mr. Kenan Ipek, 06659 Kizilay,Ankara; Tel: +90 (312) 417 77 70; Fax: +90 (0312) 419 33 70; E-mail: info@adalet.gov.tr

• Minister of Interior, Mr. Efkan Ala, Bakanlıklar Ankara; Tel: +90 (312) 422 40 00; Fax: 90 312 418 1795; Email: ozelkalem@icisleri.gov.tr

• AmbassadorIzzet Selim Yenel, Diplomatic Mission of Turkey to the European Union inBrussels, Avenue des Arts 36-38, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium; Fax: + 32 2 511 04 50

• AmbassadorMehmet Ferden Çarikçi, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations inGeneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28B 1211 Geneva 19, Tel: +41 22 918 50 80;Fax: +41 22 734 08 59; Email: mission.turkey@ties.itu.int

  Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Turkey in yourrespective country.

[1] The 20 university academics andresearchers are Associate Prof. Dr. Aynur Özuğurlu, Associate Prof. Dr. BurcuYakut Çakar, Assistant Prof. Dr. Derya Keskin, Associate Prof. Dr. GülKoksal, Associate Prof. Dr. Güven Bakırezer, Associate Prof. Dr. HakanKoçak, Assistant Prof. Dr. Hülya Kendir, Prof. Dr. KuvvetLordoğlu, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Erçin, Assistant Prof. Dr. MehmetRauf Kesici, Assistant Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ruhi Demiray, Prof. Dr. NilayEtiler, Prof. Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu, Associate Prof. Dr. Özlem Özkan,Prof. Dr. Ümit Biçer, Prof. Dr. Veli Deniz, Associate Prof. Dr. YücelDemirer, Prof. Dr. Zelal Ekinci, Research Assistant AdemYeşilyurt, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Emek Bayrak.

[2] Datacollected by HRFT Documentation Center.

[3] For more informationsee FIDH Press Release of 21 September 2015:https://www.fidh.org/International-Federation-for-Human-Rights/europe/turkey/turkey-rights-groups-strongly-condemn-escalating-violence-and-human