The Society of Personality and Social Psychology condemns the ongoing persecution by the Turkish government of our colleagues in Turkish universities. We are deeply concerned by current threats to academic freedom in Turkey of signatories of the ‘Peace petition’ in 2016. In particular, we regard the dismissals by executive decree, without due process and legal recourse, and the decision to bring academics to trial as profound violations of academic freedom.
Turkey is isolating itself from the international academic community where, for so long, colleagues in Turkey have played such an important role. We show solidarity with the academics in Turkey and closely follow the development of these trials. We call on the Turkish authorities to stop proceedings immediately and to reinstate academics to their university positions.
In February, SPSP joined five other professional associations in sharing this sentiment publicly. For more information on the situation in Turkey, please visit the International Society of Political Psychology website. ISPP is also matching all donations to a special fund to support academic scholars in Turkey.
For more information on SPSP efforts to support our Turkish colleagues, please contact Linda Skitka.