A crackdown on Turkey’s higher education sector is hurting international academic collaborations and student and scholar exchanges.

The British Academy, the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh deplore the attempted military coup d’état in Turkey. In keeping with the democratic principles which have been secured, we urge that the state’s responses towards individuals and offices thought to be involved be fully compliant with the rules and norms of democratic government, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights. We are particularly concerned that these be observed in relation to the academic and research community in Turkey, where our sister academies have unequivocally condemned the coup. We are disturbed to hear that in the coup’s aftermath the Turkish Government has asked over 1,500 university deans to resign, and has placed a ban on all academics travelling abroad. Freedom of expression, due process, and the free mobility of researchers provide the bedrock of the academic endeavour in a democratic society

Suite aux évènements du 15 juillet, le ministère turc de l’Education a entrepris une véritable « purge », il vient en effet d’annoncer la suspension de plus de 15 000 de ses employés « soupçonnés d’être liés au prédicateur Fethullah Gülen ». On y apprend également que 1 577 doyens d’universités sont suspendus ! Coup de grâce porté à l’enseignement supérieur et à la recherche turque, on apprend aujourd’hui que les universitaires ne sont désormais plus autorisés à voyager.

15 Temmuz 2016 akşamı, saat 10.30 civarında bir arkadaşım aradı ve İstanbul’un Asya ve Avrupa yakalarını birleştiren her iki köprünün de askeri barikatlarla kapatıldığını söyledi. Üstelik Ankara semaları üzerinde de askeri jetler uçuyordu. İstanbul’un Avrupa yakasında yaşayan, üniversiteye gitmek için her gün Asya yakasına gidip gelen ve bunu yapmak için trafikte saatler harcayan biri olarak her iki köprünün birden kapanmasının son derece olağanüstü bir duruma işaret ettiğini derhal anladım.