An Intervention Letter in Support of the Turkish Academy of Sciences

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK

OF ACADEMIES AND SCHOLARLY SOCIETIES

September 6, 2011

His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

Basbakanlik

06573 Ankara

Republic of Turkey

Excellency:

Our Network is composed of national academies and scholarly societies around

the world, many of which have worked with the Turkish Academy of Sciences

(TÜBA) and its respected members over the years. We have seen how TÜBA,

acting with financial and administrative autonomy, responsibly has promoted

scientific activities in Turkey, determined scientificpriorities, and proposed

science policies and constructivechanges in science legislation to the Turkish

government in a sincere effort to elevate Turkey to the level of a true "scientific

society."

Because one of the charges of our Network is to support sister academies whose

independence is threatened, we write, with all due respect, to tell you we are

deeply distressed to learnof the recent government decree that appearsto

restructure TÜBA and effectivelyremove its independence. (Because we are

certain that other science organizations will share our qualms, we are posting this

letter on our website.) In writing, it is our sincere hope that you will understand

our concern and use your.goodoffices to quickly reverse this legislation and

support andstrengthen TÜBA. A healthy and independent science academy can

do much to help Turkey produce good science and profit from its benefits.

As international scientists and scholars, we can assure you that autonomy-within

legal, ethical, and scientific norms-is essential to the practice and culture of

science (within academiesas well as universities), to the public welfare, and to social stability. Any legitimate, respected national academy is self governing. It elects its own members based on their scientific achievement andderives its prestige from their renown; it allocates its financial resources according to need; it provides objective, unbiased scientificopinions; and it remains independent of religious and political belief and influence.

We strongly believe that Turkey needs and deserves the respect and recognition of the international scientific community that an independent TÜBA would continue to attract.

Sincerely yours,

Arjuna Aluwihare, Sri Lanka

Dorairajan Balasubramanian, India

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, France

Abdallah S. Daar, Oman/Canada

Felton Earls, United States of America

François Jacob,France

Belita Koiller, Brazil

Pedro León Azofeifa, Costa Rica

Ida Nicolaisen, Denmark

John Polanyi, Canada

Alenka Selih, Slovenia

cc: Dr. Yücel Kanpolat, President, Turkish Academy of Sciences

Dr. Howard Alper, Co-Chair, Executive Committee, The Global Networkof Science Academies

(rAP)

Dr. Mohamed H.A. Hassan, Co-Chair, Executive Committee, TheGlobal Network of Science Academies (IAP)

Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO

Dr. Catherine Bréchignac, President, International Council for Science (ICSU)

Dr. Yuan T. Lee, President-Elect, International Council for Science (ICSU)


This letter and numerous others can be reached at:

http://www.tuba.gov.tr/en/homepage/145-guncel-duyurular/1589-responses-and-messages-from-other-academies-and-organizations-about-recent-arrangements-concerning-tuba.html