A joint statement on the situation in Turkey

As professional associations of social scientists in various disciplines, some of which have members in Turkey, the organizations listed below are deeply concerned about recent reports of infringements of academic freedom in Turkey, in particular in the aftermath of the recent attempt at a coup d’état.

These reports refer, among other things, to the dismissal of more than 1,500 university deans and professors, and to a ban on foreign travel for all academics in Turkey.

We do not want to interfere in domestic Turkish politics, but we can and must speak out when academic freedom is at risk.

Academic freedom is vital for all disciplines, but particularly so for scholars studying social and political developments.

We call on the Turkish political authorities to take all possible steps to guarantee that our members, affiliates, and other academics are allowed to continue their scholarly work without interference.

Meanwhile, we offer our sympathy and support to our Turkish members/affiliates and other academics in Turkey.

Signed by

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)
The British International Studies Association (BISA)
Central and East European International Studies association (CEEISA)
The Conseil Européen pour les langues/European Language Council (CEL/ELC)
The European Alliance of Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH)
The European Association for Digital Humanities (EADH)
The European Association of Geographers (EUROGEO)
The European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR)
The European Confederation of Political Science Associations (ECPSA)
The European Sociological Association (ESA)
The Federation Internationale des Associations d’Études Classiques (FIEC)
The International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP)
The International Studies Association (ISA)
The Political Studies Association (PSA)
UACES (the Academic Association for Contemporary European Studies)
The Vereniging voor Politieke Wetenschappen (Belgian Political Science Association VPW)
Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA)

Keywords: Freedom