האגודה הישראלית למדע המדינה מחזקת את ידי מקבילתה הטורקית

שלום רב,

להלן הודעה מטעם האגודה הטורקית למדע המדינה. אנו מבקשים להצטרף לקריאתם ומזמינים אתכם לתמוך באגודה הטורקית בהגעתכם לכנס השנתי של IPSA באיסטנבול. פרטים נוספים אודות הכנס ניתן למצוא באתר הכנס. פרטים נוספים אודות עמדת IPSA בנוגע להתפתחויות בטורקיה ניתן למצוא באתר IPSA.

Dear Colleagues,

As you are well aware, the domestic and international politic

s of Turkey take major twists and turns almost every other day, sometimes with alarming consequences. Some recent developments, if not reversed, may produce unacceptable outcomes for the careers of academics, including political scientists in our country.

During the last week, there have been requests from the authorities for legal and administrative action against the signatories of a petition highly critical of government policies in the country’s southeast. Some academics who have signed the petition were quickly taken in for questioning but all have been released after an inquiry at the public prosecutors’ offices.

As a professional organization whose members entertain multiplicity of partisan, ideological and policy preferences, we feel it out of place for us to offer judgment on the content of the petition. Nevertheless, we want to be sure our colleagues enjoy unrestrained freedom of expression free from fear of administrative and legal harassment. This, of course, is part of a much broader issue pertaining to the very nature of democracy that accords freedom of expression to all citizens.

It is imperative that in this highly sensitive and dire times, political science communities around the world stand by the Turkish Political Science Association (TPSA) and show their solidarity by participating in large numbers in Istanbul in the upcoming World Congress of Political Science. This is a congress organized by the voluntary efforts of the political scientists of Turkey and is not affiliated with the government. Any action such as a boycott would be seen as lack of support from the international community; and would likely help isolate and marginalize the Turkish political scientists in their own society. As the elected officers of the TPSA, we once again invite all political scientists and researchers around the world to participate in the 24th World Congress of Political Science.

Turkish Political Science Association Executive Board