Academics for Peace: Eylem Camuroglu Cig on Turkey, Political Persecution, and Academic Resistance to Oppression

Show notes

In 2016, Eylem Camuroglu Cig took a stand by signing the “Peace Petition” which called for an end to violence in southeastern Turkey. President Erdoğan condemned the signatories as “terrorists”, leading to Camuroglu Cig loosing her job at the university. After the attempted coup in the summer of 2016, the political pressure intensified further. To escape persecution, Eylem Camuroglu Cig fled to Germany at the beginning of 2017. The Turkish government revoked her passport and numerous basic rights, and it is currently impossible for her to return. Nevertheless, Eylem Camuroglu Cig remains committed to academic freedom and critical thinking.

In this interview, conducted by Frank Albrecht, Eylem Camuroglu Cig shares her insights on the political situation in Turkey, on academics for peace and her life in exile.

The project is being carried out by the science communication agency con gressa in cooperation with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the “Science Year 2024 – Freedom”.

Additional resources and information on academic freedom: Scholars at Risk, Free to Think 2023 – Report of the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project : https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/resources/free-to-think-2023/ Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Academic Freedom Index: https://academic-freedom-index.net/