Note from the LeftEast editors: We reprint here with the producers’ permission the first episode of a new CEU podcast series on Attacks on Academic Freedom in Turkey and around the World. It is dedicated to Academics for Peace in Turkey, who have been facing trials for saying “We will not be a party to this crime”.
In this episode, we will first give context to the movement. Then we will read sections of defense speeches from the academics who have stood trial. By translating them to English, we hope to make the powerful content of their speeches that calls for peace, freedom of expression and academic freedom more accessible.
We wish we could share defense speeches of every academic, but, for practical reasons, we had to choose only a few. However, we hope to keep reflecting on the movement of Academics for Peace in the upcoming episodes. The defense speech belongs to the following academics: Ayşe Gul Altinay, Nur Mardin, Meltem Ahıska, Bülent Küçük, Ayfer Bartu Candan, Filiz Arıöz, Ayşe Erzan, Ömer Turan, Didem Pekün, Mesut Yeğen, and Büşra Eraslanlı.