Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14989 | 04 October 2019

Strengthening the parliamentary dialogue with Turkey concerning the situation of Turkish academics

Signatories: Ms Alexandra LOUIS, France, ALDE ; Ms Ann-Britt ÅSEBOL, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr José BADIA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Petra BAYR, Austria, SOC ; Mr Fourat BEN CHIKHA, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Erika BENKŐ, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Brigitte BOCCONE-PAGES, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Margreet De BOER, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Bertrand BOUYX, France, ALDE ; Mr Bernard CAZEAU, France, ALDE ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Yolaine de COURSON, France, ALDE ; Ms Tarja FILATOV, Finland, SOC ; Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr André GATTOLIN, France, ALDE ; Ms Ruth GOÑI, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Zita GURMAI, Hungary, SOC ; Mr Dimitri HOUBRON, France, ALDE ; Mr Hovhannes IGITYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Momodou Malcolm JALLOW, Sweden, UEL ; Ms Catherine KAMOWSKI, France, ALDE ; Mr František KOPŘIVA, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Mr Konstantin KUHLE, Germany, ALDE ; Ms Martine LEGUILLE BALLOY, France, ALDE ; Mr Jacques MAIRE, France, ALDE ; Ms Isabelle RAUCH, France, ALDE ; Mr Frédéric REISS, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Petra STIENEN, Netherlands, ALDE ; Ms Violeta TOMIĆ, Slovenia, UEL ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Nicole TRISSE, France, ALDE ; Mr André VALLINI, France, SOC ; Mr Sylvain WASERMAN, France, ALDE ; Ms Martine WONNER, France, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Over the past few years, the Parliamentary Assembly has adopted several resolutions reporting the worsening situation of opposition members in Turkey (Resolution 2260 (2019)) or those devoted to the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey (Resolution 2156 (2017)).

However, it would be useful to continue in this direction in order to strengthen the parliamentary dialogue with Turkey, based on the respect of universal values, and especially as regards the situation of Turkish academics.

A petition, initially signed by over 2000 academics, was launched in Turkey on 11 January 2016 urging for the resumption of peaceful negotiations and criticizing military operations carried out in South-East Turkey mostly inhabited by Kurds.

As a result of the petition, under Turkish law regarding the state of emergency, hundreds of teachers and academics have been under criminal and disciplinary investigation and have been arbitrarily dismissed or forced to resign from several public or private universities in Turkey, or have even been banned from public service for life.

Some of those academics have had their passports withdrawn.

Turkey is bound, under article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to guarantee freedom of opinion and speech.

Therefore, the Assembly should decide to examine and assess Turkish practices with regard to teachers and academics, and to highlight the difficulties encountered regarding fundamental freedoms and human rights while taking into account European Union actions and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.