A nation reimagined: the suppression of academic freedom in Turkey

Tahir Abbas and Anja Zalta

Chapter 9 in Handbook on Academic Freedom, 2022, pp 161-177 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Abbas and Zalta are concerned about the state suppression of academic freedom in Turkish higher education. In January 2016, 1,128 predominantly Turkish and Kurdish intellectuals signed an Academics for Peace petition to draw attention to the conflict in southeastern Turkey. However, their actions were met with outcry from the AKP government, which accused the signatories of disloyalty to the state, even treason. Based on a survey of members of Academics for Peace, this chapter presents an analysis of the responses of 60 of these scholars to a questionnaire sent to the entire list in 2016. Respondents, including 58 signatories, provided various perspectives on academic freedom in Turkey, as well as their own experiences of signing the petition. They contend that the responses faced by these intellectuals illustrate the homogenizing effects of power to silence criticism and ensure loyalty to the government and its ideas of Turkishness. It reflects a continuation of the suppression of academic freedom in Turkey, an issue that sees little sign of abatement or reform in the light of present challenges.

Keywords: Business and Management; Education; Politics and Public Policy General Academic Interest (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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