HR Network, Nobel laureates voice support for under-fire Turkish academics

The Executive Committee of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (H.R. Network) issued a statement endorsed by 28 Nobel laureates in support of Turkish academics who have come under fire for signing a petition calling for an end to military operations in southeast Turkey. 

In a statement released on Jan. 19, the committee, which uses the international stature of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to advocate in support of non-violent academics, said it was "alarmed" by the increasingly "repressive and inflammatory" reactions of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government against opposition voices. 

The H.R. Network expressed concern that "intolerant individuals" and university officials who have joined government officials in accusing the academics, "solely because they publicly expressed humanitarian concerns about the grave crisis in southeastern Turkey."

"We condemn any threats, false accusations, and incitement to violence against our colleagues by the government of Turkey," it said, while reminding the government of its obligation under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to ensure that its citizens are free to hold and disseminate their opinions. 

"Surely, citizens of a democratic country such as Turkey, and its academics in particular, have a civic duty to remind their government, when deemed necessary, of its obligation to respect Turkey's constitution, adhere to humanitarian standards for all of its citizens, and give priority to peaceful solutions in crisis situations," the statement added. 

Just a day after the committee's statement, on Jan. 20, the European University Association (EUA) also published a press release expressing "deep...