Turkey’s ‘Nazi-style’ purge of academia condemned


Date posted: November 9, 2016

Jack Grove

The mass sacking of more than 1,200 academics in Turkey has been compared to tactics used in Nazi Germany.

Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, made his comments shortly after Turkish authorities released a list of 1,273 academics fired from public universities on 29 October.

It means more than 110,000 civil servants, academics and journalists have now been sacked or suspended since a plot to oust president Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed in July.

Those dismissed have been placed on an official blacklist, which makes it almost impossible for them to gain future employment, while some have had their passports revoked.

Mr Asselborn also accused Turkey of revoking some people’s degrees, the German newspaper Deutsche Welle reported.

“To put it bluntly, these are methods that were used during the Nazi era and that’s a really, really bad development…that the European Union simply cannot accept,” Mr Asselborn said.

The EU may be forced to impose economic sanctions if the crackdown continued, he said.

“At a certain point in time, we won’t have any choice but to apply [sanctions] to counteract the unbearable human rights situation,” he said.

His comments follow a protest by hundreds of academics, students and trade union members in Istanbul on 4 November over the government’s efforts to root out supposed support for the exiled Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen from its civil service.

More than 50,000 of those suspended, sacked or jailed are educational staff, while 37,000 have been jailed pending trial.

Turkey’s president also claimed greater powers over appointing university heads last month in a move that in effect “eradicates university autonomy”, critics said.

Source: Times Higher Education , November 7, 2016


Related News

Hizmet in Context: Societal Islam Versus Political Islam

The Hizmet movement is according to Ebaugh (2010) a civic movement rooted in Islam that is independent from the state. Others see it simply as a faith- based movement (Esposito and Yilmaz 2010). Agai (2004) describes it as an education network and Hendrick (2009) as a global pressure group to promote Turkish interests.

Discrimination by AKP government [against Hizmet movement]

Discrimination by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, which argues that it has addressed this issue vis-à-vis religious people, has never been analyzed. The recent row between the AKP and the Hizmet movement refers to an important and interesting fact, because it reveals this reality. In light of these discussions, bureaucrats who have been discriminated by the AKP government because of their views are now talking.

The businessman who sits on his cell phone to avoid wiretapping

A businessman summarized it like this: “In the past, it was very important in the business community to have a meeting with Fethullah Gülen. Those going to the United States would try to get an appointment; yet today, different meanings are being attributed to these meetings. Those who in the past made sure to have these meetings publicly are now praying they do not come to the surface.”

Taraf, Baransu file criminal complaint against PM Erdoğan

The Taraf daily and journalist Mehmet Baransu have filed a criminal complaint against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over charges of involvement in an “attempt to influence a fair trial,” slander and insult. The daily and Baransu also filed a TL 50,000 compensation case against PM Erdoğan for non-pecuniary damages.

President Obama sends message to Gulen-inspired International Cultural Festival

US President Obama sends a message to Gulen-inspired “The International Festival of Language and Culture” that took place in Washington DC at the DAR Constitution Hall, Washington DC’s largest Concert Hall on April, 2018, 2016.

PM Basindawa opens new campus of Turkish-Yemeni School

SANA’A, Oct. 21, 2012 A Yemeni-Turkish School was opened Saturday in the Aser neighborhood of Sana’a in the presence of a slew of Turkish and Yemeni government officials. The school, which is largely a symbolic gesture of the continued friendly relationship between the two nations, was funded by Turkish businessmen and began construction in February […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

The real problem is not an AK Party-Gülen movement conflict

Turkish witch-hunt against the Gulen movement lacks one thing: Evidence

Prominent columnist Bağdat slams persecution of Hizmet

Mavi Marmara and Gülen’s critics: politics and principles

Tentacles of Turkey’s growing autocracy reach Thailand

Nizamiye Will Perform 15,000 Cardiac Procedures In Nigeria

Turkish Olympiads and achieving peace

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News