[MGSA-L] Fw: A proposal in the new phase for solidarity - Michael Löwys and Eleni Varikas' Self reporting to the Turkish public prosecutor's Office

Sun Jun 23 07:30:40 PDT 2019

Dear all,

I think that the following may be of interest to members of this list.

Sincerely,

Panagiotis Roilos

Panagiotis Roilos
George Seferis Professor of Modern Greek Studies  and Professor of Comparative Literature
Faculty Associate, The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
Faculty Associate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
Harvard University
Member of the Governing Board, European Cultural Center of Delphi

________________________________
From: Halis <halisyildirim at gmx.net>
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 8:53 AM
To: Roilos, Panagiotis
Subject: A proposal in the new phase for solidarity - Michael Löwys and Eleni Varikas' Self reporting to the Turkish public prosecutor's Office

Dear colleagues: A proposal in the new phase for solidarity

This week, Arat Dink, the son of the murdered Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, was sentenced to trial. He was, however, not a signatory but a subsequent supporter of the statement "We will not be part of the crime". However, he and other 18 artists and intellectuals reported themselves to the prosecutor's office as signors of this decleration. 1
The judge has decided to wait for the Constitutional Court's verdict. At present, the Turkish court is overburdened and decides very contradictorily. Part of the court punishes academics to imprisonment without probation for up to 36 months. That is 36 academics so far.  A part of the court declares that waits for the expectation of the Constitutional Court. or that 15 months on probation would be sufficient. All decisions are for the same text. Academics have individually appealed to the Constitutional Court.
The court is cynical and destructive. While the supporters of the peace declaration, like the 433 filmmakers(2), get investigations, the Turkish prosecution ignores international support.
In this difficult trial, it makes sense to challenge the court politically and legally. Courts currently do not recognise each other. They decide against the existing right on paper, no matter how backward this right may be.
It is precisely where a certain escalation has been achieved that the method of applying a new form of action at international level makes sense and is effective. Therefore, you should make a proposal to report yourself to the Turkish public prosecutor's office such as Michael Löwy and Eleni Varikas. Because today Istanbul's mayor is elected, it will be published Wednesday this self-proclamation at the public prosecutor's office, I hope with several colleagues.

1) https://t24.com.tr/haber/baris-icin-akademisyenlere-destek-icin-kendilerini-savciliga-ihbar-ettiler,324689<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__google.us16.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3D67dc0cb4707bcb6e320666a17-26id-3D6dd2660855-26e-3Dac046b59a9&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=kQhyxcCOJ5pbHXm3U222khZ5k-nobB6p8LSg5N9ZC0o&m=QgdvpulS3NdFmElT92aA48YGqnMQJJt_lNtNC1kt2Yk&s=q-39diGZD7YrT2KSW6YF20YZnP1hJPrgm4gUNllVbrM&e=>
2) http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/182058-probe-into-film-workers-supporting-peace-academics<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__google.us16.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3D67dc0cb4707bcb6e320666a17-26id-3Dc581a655a0-26e-3Dac046b59a9&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=kQhyxcCOJ5pbHXm3U222khZ5k-nobB6p8LSg5N9ZC0o&m=QgdvpulS3NdFmElT92aA48YGqnMQJJt_lNtNC1kt2Yk&s=BNp5sulXb3IZwJKO0ysluH74vuBP4Qnp3BJ-wagbg0c&e=>

  Ankara prosecution

Ankara Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı

ankaracbs at adalet.gov.tr

       Your Excellency,

         We are writing to manifest our indignation for the judgement concerning Prof. Naomi Levy-Aksu : 30 months in jail for signing the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime! 10.01.2016".  The accusation of “ supporting terrorism” because of an appeal for peace is  absurd and ridiculous.

          In solidarity with the more than thousand Turkish citizens who supported this appeal, we decided to sign it also.  In solidarity with Naomi Levy-Aksu,  we ask to be considered as co-signators of this document.

         With many thanks for your attention,

        Michael Löwy, Emeritus research director in social sciences, Paris. France

         Eleni Varikas,  Emerita Professor in political science, Paris, France

To who is report to send?

To:  Ankara prosecution (Ankara Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı)

ankaracbs at adalet.gov.tr

how musst this report contain?

That you report yourself to the Turkish public prosecutor's office because you sign and support the declaration "We will not be a party to this crime! 10.01.2016". If wish own Statement.

Until when: Because of the election in Istanbul we can wait a few days until this thing is published in Turkish. Presumably until Wednesday.
Short Info

One of the convicts without parole is Noèmi Levi-Aksu. After her dismissal from the University of Bogazici, she applied for Turkish citizenship and apparently recently obtained it. So she probably has double passports of Turkish and French. She cannot be deported from Turkey, but as a Turkish citizen she is completely subject to Turkish law. She has not received the highest punishment yet, as I assumed, but the second highest punishment with other 6 colleagues from the previous convictions.
If you want to find out more about her:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/People/fellows-and-visiting-staff/levy-aksu/levy-aksu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__google.us16.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3D67dc0cb4707bcb6e320666a17-26id-3D65061cc227-26e-3Dac046b59a9&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=kQhyxcCOJ5pbHXm3U222khZ5k-nobB6p8LSg5N9ZC0o&m=QgdvpulS3NdFmElT92aA48YGqnMQJJt_lNtNC1kt2Yk&s=SLUO1tDVYxV8jneeNVj8kQjUuk0HbE42HBjHdGfFsMA&e=>

Here's the defense speech in the court of Noèmi Levy-Aksu.

Dear court,
I leave the legal defence to my lawyer and briefly explain here why I signed the peace declaration and what I think of the charges in the prosecution.
First of all I would like to stress that I have signed the declaration: "We will not be party to this crime" , as not citizens of the Republic of Turkey.
I moved to Turkey at 23 years old, and I have no Turkish roots. I could have stayed French, but I thought that the excuse to remain silent with a foreign passport was neither ethically nor politically acceptable. I have signed this declaration as a human being and for humanity.
After signing this declaration, I have got  Turkish citizenship because I want to fully comply with the legal and political responsibility of citizenship in this court as well.
The curfews, destruction and deaths of civilians caused by uncontrolled and disproportionate use of force is stated in this statement, but also published in national and international media and documented in many independent reports.
I signed for peace to combat unlawful and unjust state violence. I am not proud of this signature: I wish we could express this reaction more strongly; I wish we could have held together more with the victims of the war.
The fact that we signed some paragraphs of the text was a minimal human reaction, as one would expect from academics whose professions produce and share knowledge and critical thinking.
The Declaration of Peace did not heal suffering and did not bring peace and democracy. But even if this minimal answer was small, it was good that it contributed to tearing down the wall of silence and indifference, so I am glad to have signed it.
up to this court, scientists and lawyers who have been on trial for months have shown that the accusations of the prosecution are unfounded.
After being dismissed by Boğaziçi University, I decided to move from history to law, hoping to fight injustices and inequalities more concretely and meaningfully. However, in a case where freedom of expression and the right to criticism are so clearly ignored, I consider the law to be inappropriate and possibly unjustified.
It is, of course, worrying to be brought to justice in a judicial system suspected of unjustice, inconsistent and arbitrary practices, but when I read the indictment the questions that worried me even more as a person and as a new citizen came to mind. I don't think differently than they do.
While the prisons are filled with political prisoners and inmates, when will get justice for the citizens who are injured or killed in the streets of Sur, in the Cizre cellars, in the houses of Nusaybin by the state forces.
Are those who are displaced, those who have lost their homes, those who have been tortured, those when do they get justice? Or do they have to demand justice from the European Court of Justice?
which undermines the state and damages democracy and social peace is not criticism, but repeated arbitrary violence, impunity and injustice.
It is the right of every citizen to live in a country where the rights to life, justice and freedom are respected, and it is our responsibility to defend those rights.
For all these reasons, I deny all charges and demand my acquittal.

Own Translation

On Turkish: https://bianet.org/1/19/202233-noemi-levy-aksu-nun-beyani<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__google.us16.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3D67dc0cb4707bcb6e320666a17-26id-3D43a08be502-26e-3Dac046b59a9&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=kQhyxcCOJ5pbHXm3U222khZ5k-nobB6p8LSg5N9ZC0o&m=QgdvpulS3NdFmElT92aA48YGqnMQJJt_lNtNC1kt2Yk&s=IM0QDLptO_--lb-zSiuq6MWawQl1tU8_6QNAIswfdvg&e=>
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This email was sent to roilos at fas.harvard.edu<mailto:roilos at fas.harvard.edu>
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Solidarity · Freiheit · Munich 81479 · Germany

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