The New Turkey
The Academics for Peace initiative

2-feb-21

Dismissals, prosecutions and convictions*

24 January 2020: Academic Tuna Altınel acquitted at third hearing

Jan.-Mar. 2019 3 January 2019: 1 Academic Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison 8 January 2019 11 more academics convicted for signing peace petition 8 January 2019: Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months for 1 Academic 9 January 2019: Turkish academic receives suspended sentence for signing peace petition 16 January 2019: Academic Sentenced to 2 Years, 1 Month in Prison 17 January 2019: Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months for 4 Academics 18 January 2019: Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months for 2 Academics 6 February 2019: Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months for 1 Academic 6 February 2019: Three Turkish academics get suspended jail terms for peace call 12-13-14 February: More academics given jail terms 22 February: 28 Academics Sentenced to a Total of 59 Years, 2 Months, 5 Days in Prison 28 Februaryb 2019 2 Academics Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison 4 March 2019: Court of Appeal Upholds First Prison Sentence of an Academic for Peace 5,6, 8 March 2019: More academic sentenced to prison. 11 March 2019: Turkish court hands dismissed law professor right to resume studies Acad. for Peace 1-10 March Acad. for Peace 11-20March Acad. for Peace 21-31 March

April 2019 3 April: One More Academic Given Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months 4 April: Judge Interrupts Defense of Academic, Threatens Lawyer With Ordering Out of Court Hall 5 April: 5 More Academics Sentenced to 1 Year, 3 Months in Prison 9 April: Court Asks Permission for Investigation Upon Article 301(insulting) 10 April: 5 Academics Sentenced to 7 Years, 9 Months in Prison in Total 11 April: Deferred Prison Sentence of 15 Months for One Academic Two Academics Sentenced to 1 Year, 3 Months, One Academic to 1 Year, 10 Months in Prison 17 April: Prison Sentence of Academic Increases by 7 Months Between Two Hearings 19 April: Statement of Academic Sefa Feza Arslan

May 2019 1 May: One Academic Sentenced to 15 Months, One Academic to 30 Months in Prison 3 May: 2 Academics Sentenced to 3 Years, 4 Months in Prison in Total 7 May: Academic Sentenced to 1 Year, 3 Months in Prison 8 May: Academic for Peace Füsun Üstel Imprisoned 13 May: Academic for Peace Tuna Altınel Arrested in Balıkesir 15 May: Arrested Academic for Peace Tuna Altınel: Solidarity Keeps One Alive 17 May: International Solidarity for Arrested Academic for Peace Tuna Altınel 21 May: Ayşe Gül Altınay Sentenced to 2 Years, 1 Month in Prison 22 May: Sentenced academic Ayşe Gül Altınay to two years and one month in prison 22 May: Statement of Academic Ayşe Gül Altınay 22 May: Arrested Academic for Peace Füsun Üstel to be Transferred to Open Prison 22 May: Prosecutor Objects, Academic for Peace Üstel Cannot be Transferred to Open Prison 23 May: The first hearings of Halim Bulutoğlu and Zeynep Tanbay were held at the İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court. 23 May: 27 people including Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter and translator Meşale Tolu had their ninth hearing at the İstanbul 29th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (May 23). 29 May: The Constitutional Court convened yesterday (May 29) and examined the individual applications of 10 Academics for Peace. 30 May: Filiz Arıöz and Tezcan Durna have been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison. 30 May: Filiz Arıöz,Ozan Değer, Tezcan Durna ,Umut Azak, Erdem Üngür, ,Aslı Odman and E.D. from Işık University had theirs hearings.

June 2019 10 June: Gizem Sayın, a research assistant at the Law School of İstanbul Kadir Has University, will be taken into custody at the airport in İstanbul 11 June. 10 June: First Hearing of Academic for Peace Tuna Altınel to be Held on July 30 13 June: Sezai Ozan Zeybek has been sentenced to 1 year, 3 months in prison on charge of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization.” 13 June: Gül Köksal, Ayşe Aslı Berkman, Sezai Ozan Zeybek, Eylem Özdemir   Z.H., Emel Yuvayapan, D.H,  Hakan Koçak, Hande Güle, Başak Ertür, Ayşe Arslan,  Didem Çınar and Ayten Alkan had their hearing. 14 June: Noemi Levy Aksu has been sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison without deferment.  14 June: Şenay Çınar and Belin Benezra have been each sentenced to 15 months in prison;  14 June: Academics had their hearings at four different courts: Noemi Levy Aksu,Şenay Çınar,Zeynep Arıkan,Meltem Gürle,Belin Benezra,Didem Pekün,Leyla Işıl Ünal 17 June: Ayşe Gül Altınay, was sentenced to 25 months in prison for "knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization as a non-member. 19 June: Court to Await Constitutional Court Ruling on Academics for Peace 19 June: Presiding Judge: Why Didn’t You Make a Call to Terrorist Organization? 26 June: Teacher Çelik Acquitted Based on Constitutional Court Verdict

July 2019 1 July: Academics Azak, Üngür and E.D. was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" 1 July: At the İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court Umut Azak, Erdem Üngür and Aslı Odman had their fifth hearings; and E.D.  had his ninth hearing. 5 July: Constitutional Court Takes on Trial of Academics 11 July: Academics Call for Release of Üstel and Altınel 12 July: Sibel Bekiroğlu had her third hearing. Zeynep Arıkan and Meltem Gürle  had their fourth hearings. Yıldırım Şentürk, Ümit Biçer  and Eren Kırmızıaltın had their third hearings. 12 July: Sibel Bekiroğlu was sentenced to 1 year, 3 months in prison on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization"  18 July: Statement of Academic Baki Tezcan 22 July: Prof. Füsun Üstel Released 23 July: Reference to Supreme Court of Appeals in Prof. Füsun Üstel’s Verdict of Release 26 July: Constitutional Court: Freedom of Expression of Academics for Peace Violated The Constitutional Court has ruled that the penalization of Academics for Peace on charge of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” has violated their freedom of expression.   30 July: 1,066 Academics Denounce Constitutional Court Verdict on Academics for Peace After the Constitutional Court ruled that the prison sentences given to the Academics for Peace violated their freedom of expression, 1,066 academics from various universities released a declaration, saying the verdict is "against the public conscience." 30 July: Mathematician Altınel, charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” for his role in an event in France, was released at the end of first court hearing in Balıkesir

August 2019 10 August. Court lifts travel ban on Peace Academic Toksöz

September 2019 6 September. An Istanbul court acquited Özlem Şendeniz, for signing 2016’s Academics for Peace petition. 9 September. Acquittal for Three Academics for Peace in Diyarbakır, Five Academics in İstanbul 10 September. Murat Kızıl, Murat Biricik and Fikret Uyar was acquitted 10 september. 23 Academics for Peace Acquitted in One Week 11 September. Serdar Değirmencioğlu and Özlem Savaş have been acquitted by the 30th Heavy Penal Court  11 September. 38 Academics Acquitted So Far 11 september. CHP Submits Bill of Law for Reinstatement of Academics for Peace 12 September. Prosecutor Requests Prison Sentence for Academic Latife Akyüz. Despite Constitutional Court Decision 16 September. Statement as to the Accusations of Academic Ayşe Berkman 17 September. Academics for Peace Acquitted by 17 Courts. Serdar Başçetin, Esra Demir Gürsel, Emre Özyetiş, Cengiz Erçin was among them. 24 September. Erol Önderoğlu has been acquitted of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization”. 24 September: 14 rights defenders on trial for supporting academics acquitted 30 September: Academics Esra Mungan, Kıvanç Ersoy, Muzaffer Kaya and Meral Camcı, who were on trial for signing 2016’s Academics for Peace petition, were acquitted of the “propaganda” charge against them.

October 2019 18 October: Prof. Dr. Füsun Üstel was Acquitted

November 2019 19 November 2019. Prosecutor seeks sentence for academic Tuna Altınel 22 November. Writer and Academic Fikret Başkaya Acquitted 27 November 2019: Academic İbrahim Kaboğlu acquitted.  Kaboğlu was the latest academic acquitted after the Constitutional Court found a violation of rights in the applications of “Academics for Peace.”

2018 3 April 2018: 9 Academics Stand Their First Trial in 3 Courts 4 April 2018: Üstel, Polat Sentenced to 1 Year 3 Months in Prison 16 April 2018: Academic Özyetiş Acquitted in First Hearing 8 July 2018: 199 Turkish academics who signed peace petition sacked in latest decree 11 September 2018: First Hearings of 3 Academics Held in 25th Heavy Penal Court 9 October 2018: Peace academics face up to 7.5 years in jail 16 October 2018: Academic given jail term for “propaganda,” sentence deferred 18 October 2018: 32 Academics Face up to 7 Years, 6 Months in Prison 19 October 2018: 32 Academics for Peace face jail sentences over 7 years 19 October 2018: Signing Discharge of 6,817 Academics, Erdoğan Complains About University Education 22 October 2018: Five more academics given jail terms for signing peace petition  22 October 2018: Turkish academic sentenced to one year in jail for signing peace petition 23 October 2018: 3 Academics Given Suspended Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months 26 Oct.to 17 Dec.2018 Prison sentences handed down to 28 members of Academics for Peace 1 November 2018: 1 Academic Faces up to 7 Years, 6 Months in Prison 8 November ,2018: Presiding Judge: I Have Freedom of Expression As Well 9 November 2018: Expelled academic detained on suspicion of terrorism 9 November 2018: Turkish academic and some university students detained by police in Ankara 10 November 2018: Purge-victim Turkish academic in custody on suspicion of terrorism 16 November 2018: 13 People Taken into Custody 16 November 2018: Human Rights Association: We Condemn Operation Against Civil Society and Academia 22 November 2018: 4 more academics convicted of “propaganda” for signing peace petition 23 November 2018: Prison Sentence Deferred with 2-Year Probation 29 November 2018: One Academic Given Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months 4-6 December 2018: Three more academics convicted for signing peace petition 7 December 2018: Deferred Prison Sentence for 1 Academic; 1 Case File Combined 11-12-13 December : 16 academics convicted of “propaganda” for signing peace petition 13 December 2018: Academics for Peace sentenced to prison in "Kafkaesque" trial 19 December 2018: Turkish academic, rights activist sentenced to over 2 years in prison on terrorism charges 28 December 2018: Deferred Prison Sentence of 1 Year, 3 Months for 3 Academics

2017 8 February 2017: 4,811 Academics from 112 Universities Discharged by 5 Statutory Decress 1 May 2017: 16 Academics For Peace Members Discharged From Dicle University Taken into Custody

2016 11 Janyuary 2016: Academics: We will not be a Party to This Crime 21 July 2016: 167 Academics, 6 Administrative Staff Suspended at 7 Universities 22 July 2016: 953 Staff Including 743 Academics Suspended at 24 Universities 31 October 2016: Of 1,267 Academics Dismissed in New Statutory Decree, 24 Are Academics for Peace 22 November 2016: 242 Academics Suspended from Civil Service 22 November 2016: 1.184 University Personnel Dismissed in Emergency Decree

On January 10, 2016, 1,128 academics published a declaration entitled "We will not be party to this crime" on behalf of the Academics for Peace initiative. With the participation of further academics, the number of academics who have signed the declaration has reached 2,212.

With the indictment issued by the Prosecutor İsmet Bozkurt, lawsuits were filed against the academics on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article No. 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law No. 3713.

As of October 17, 2018, 335 academics had stood trial since December 5, 2017. 28 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison and all of the sentences were suspended, except for those of Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel from Galatasaray University and Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı from Marmara University.

The penalty of Prof. Dr. Üstel was not deferred on the grounds that "she did not demand deferment of the announcement of the verdict and that she did not make a statement of penitence." As for the penalty of Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı, it was not deferred on the ground that "no opinion as to her avoidance of committing offense has emerged considering her personality which does not express any remorse."

On March 10, 2016, the Academics for Peace made a statement for press and shared with the public what they had been going through since the declaration "We will not be a party to this crime" was published.

The academics Dr. Lecturer Esra Mungan, Dr. Lecturer Muzaffer Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Dr Kıvanç Ersoy (March 15, 2016) and Dr. Lecturer Meral Camcı (March 31, 2016), who read out the above-mentioned statement for press, were arrested on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article No. 7/2 of the Turkish Anti-Terror Law.

They were released on April 2016. Upon the request of the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Justice granted a permission of trial as per the Article No. 301 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 301 on charges of "insulting the Turkish Nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey and the institutions and organs of the government."**

15 September 2020:
(09/157) Data Collection of Istanbul Security Directorate About Academics Who Signed “We Will Not be a Party to This Crime” Petition…

It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that Istanbul Security Directorate has sent an official letter to the İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 and requested the detailed rulings on academics Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya, Kıvanç Ersoy, Sevda Bulduk and Şebnem Korur Fincancı who were on trial for signing “We Will Not be a Party to This Crime” petition, to be sent to the Data Collection and Archive Bureau of the Security Branch Directorate.

14 rights defenders on trial for supporting academics acquitted

Fourteen out of 17 rights defenders who were on trial on the charge of “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization” have been acquitted by the respective criminal courts overseeing their trials.

In 2016, 17 rights defenders had turned themselves in to the authorities in support of the academics who were being prosecuted for signing 2016’s Academics for Peace petition. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had issued separate indictments against all 17.

The courts rendered the acquittal verdicts without holding courtroom hearings. The acquittals follow on the heels of the Constitutional Court’s ruling in July, which held that the trials of academics who signed the 2016 petition were in violation of their right to freedom of expression.

12 September

Four courts acquitted 54 academics

After today's rulings, the number of academics who have been acquitted after the Constitutional Court ruling has become 106.

36th Heavy Penal Court: Prof. Dr. Ayşe Berkman (Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts), Lecturer Chris Stephenson (Bilgi University).

32nd Heavy Penal Court: Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Atıl aşıcı (İstanbul University), Research Associate Gülay Kılıçaslan (Yıldız Technical University).

22nd Heavy Penal Court: Ferda Keskin (Bilgi), Barış Pembeci (Muğla), Pınar Önen (Okan), Özlem Özkan (Kocaeli), Derya Keskin (Kocaeli), Alaattin Şenel (Ankara), Hale Bolak Boratav (Bilgi), Ayşe Bilge Yağmurlu (Koç), Burak Onaran (MSGSÜ), Bahtiyar Mermertaş (Mimar Sinan), Nur Serap Özer (TED), H. Neşe Özgen (MSGSÜ), Alev Özkazanç (Ankara), Demet İslambay (ODTÜ), Hülya Doğan (Bartın), Yusuf Çağlar Güven (METU), Handan Çağlayan (Ankara), Özge Yaka (FMSH Paris), Eren Can (Artuklu), Mehmet Barış Gümüşbaş (Hacettepe), Umut Tümay Arslan (Mimar Sinan), Ercan Şen (Ankara), Ayşe Parla (Sabancı).

26th Heavy Penal Court: Eylem Çamuroğlu Çığ (Mersin), Meral Gürbüz (Anadolu), Murat Emeksiz (Anadolu), Ali Turgay Kurultay (Yaşar), Bülent Duru (Ankara), Zeynep Ülker Kaşlı Koolschijn (Washington Univ), Nergiz Kardaş İşler (Hacettepe), Görkem Akgöz (Hacettepe), Akın Tek (Şehir), Özgecan Korkmaz (Michigan), Halil İbrahim Yenigün (Ticaret), Mahinur Akkaya (ODTÜ), Gürsan Şenalp (Atılım), Zeliha Hacımuratlar (Özyeğin), Eylem Özdemir (İÜ), Didem Pekün (Koç), Adil Emre Zeytinoğlu (MSGSÜ), Tuğçe Erçetin (Bilgi), Zeynep Altok (Bilgi), Derya Fırat Şannan (MSGSÜ), Güventürk Görgülü (Bilgi), Berrak Karahoda (Bilgi), Nermin Saybaşılı (MSGSÜ), Orkun Doğan (Bilgi), Engin Kılıç (Sabancı), Osman Cengiz Aktar (Süleyman Şah), Düzgün Uğur (Dicle).

Constitutional Court rules against convictions in Academics for Peace case

The 8-8 decision comes thanks to president of the top court voting in favor of the applicants

The Constitutional Court ruled on 26 July 2019 that the freedom of expression of 10 academics convicted of “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization” for signing a peace petition in 2016, entitled “We will not be a party to this crime,” has been violated.

The decision, which came as a result of a 8-8 tie that was only broken because President of the Constitutional Court was among those who voted against the convictions, is expected to set precedent for hundreds of similar trials of academics that are still ongoing. Read more............

* This list is not necessarily complete.
** Source