HRK President protests against treatment of university members in Turkey

"German universities are horrified by the current developments at Turkish universities. The deep, apparently unscrupulous cuts to academic freedoms by the Turkish government leave us all stunned. We protest against these actions in the strongest possible terms," said the President of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), Prof Dr Horst Hippler.

"The news indicates that this is about systematic intimidation and the destruction of the free spirit: dismissal of more than 1,500 deans, suspensions, a ban on academics travelling abroad and the recall of academics working abroad, general suspicion against university members, arrests. We feel deeply connected to the university members affected and assure them of our solidarity."

Turkey and Germany have traditionally enjoyed good academic relations. During the National Socialist dictatorship, numerous German academics found refuge in Turkey. Today, relations are characterised by close co-operation in university research and an intensive exchange of students and academics.
The European Rectors' Conference EUA (European University Association), of which the HRK is a member, has also taken a clear stance against the repression.