No Academic Freedom in Turkey. University Professors Arrested by Erdogan Government

Boğaziçi Academic Members: Mungan Should be at University, Not in Prison

By Bianet
Global Research, March 31, 2016
BIA 18 March 2016
Region:
Theme:

Boğaziçi University academic members have expressed that their colleagues Esra Mungan [image left], Kıvanç Ersoy, Muzaffer Kaya, Meral Camcı and Chris Stephenson have practiced their right to freedom of expression. They demanded release of the academics.

Colleagues of Asst. Prof. Esra Mungan arrested along with two of her colleagues for signing “We will not be a party to this crime” were in solidarity at Boğaziçi University where Mungan teaches.

Boğaziçi University academic members in the press statement announced the decision of the Academic General Assembly they held on March 17.

CLICK – ARRESTED ACADEMIC ESRA MUNGAN: WE STAND BY OUR WORD

The statement held at Güney Kampüs (South Campus) demanded the release of Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy, and Muzaffer Kaya.

The statement read by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aybrek Korugan from Department of Industrial Engineering on behalf of academic member reads as follows:

“An academic member arrested for first time in BOUN’s history”

“For the first time in its history, an academic member of Boğaziçi University has been arrested. Esra Mungan has been charged with ‘propagandizing for terror organization’. We find this accusation unacceptable. Prison is not where our colleague Esra Mungan should be, it is the university she should be in where she has been lecturing for 15 years.

“We as Boğaziçi University have always taken sacredness of human life as basis and opposed all sorts of violence. None of our academic members said things or acted in a way to promote terror, and they never will.

“Our university with its students, academic members, and graduates have always stood against any step taken against democracy. Freedom of thought and expression constitutes the main body of this stand”.

“Climate of violence can be most eliminated in environment of free discussion”

“There cannot be a university at where there is no freedom of thought and expression. Lectures cannot be given, researches cannot be done, scientific development halts. Climate of violence and terror can be most effectively eliminated in environment of free discussion.

“Esra Mungan and our other colleagues, Muzaffer Kaya, Kıvanç Ersoy arrested along with her, Meral Camcı on whom warrant has been issued, and Chris Stephenson departed have practiced their freedom of expression under constitutional guarantee.

“We demand our colleagues to be released immediately so they can come together with their students again”. (BK/TK)
Articles by: Bianet

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. The Centre of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post Global Research articles on community internet sites as long the source and copyright are acknowledged together with a hyperlink to the original Global Research article. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected]

www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.

For media inquiries: [email protected]