Top court says petition-signing scholars’ rights violated
ISTANBUL
Turkey’s top court ruled on July 26 that 10 academics had their rights violated when they were sentenced on charges of disseminating terrorist propaganda for signing a petition calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the country’s southeast.
They were among hundreds of members of a group called “Academics for Peace” who signed the petition in January 2016. Füsun Üstel, İbrahim Garip, Yasemin Gülsüm Acar, Ayda Rona Aylin Altınay Cingöz, Melda Tunçay, İzzeddin Önder, Canan Özbey, Nazlı Ökten Gülsoy ve Zübeyde Gaye Çankaya Eksen, Ece Öztan appealed to the court on the grounds that their “right to freedom of speech” has been violated.
The Constitutional Court ordered re-trials and compensation for the 10 academics.
Nearly two dozen have been convicted of aiding the illegal PKK by adding their names to the document. PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
