EU condemns arrests of Turkish academics
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 January 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU condemns arrests of Turkish academics, 16 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4290d15.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 16, 2016
The European Union has condemned as "extremely worrying" Turkey's arrest of academics who signed a petition denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in the country's southeast.
"The steps taken against the Turkish academics who signed a declaration regarding events in the southeast of Turkey are an extremely worrying development," an EU spokesperson on foreign affairs said in a statement on January 16.
"They are no longer detained, but the procedures against them are ongoing."
Turkish media reported on January 15 that 27 academics accused of terrorist propaganda for signing a declaration titled We Won't Be A Party To This Crime, which urges Ankara to halt "its deliberate massacres and deportation of Kurdish and other peoples in the region."
The academics were questioned for a day before being released, Dogan reported late January 15.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website