2212 academics who are citizens of Turkey signed the "We will not be a party to this crime" peace initiative of January 11, 2016. These academics are from 105 different universities in Turkey and 328 universities abroad.
According to the latest survey that Academics for Peace (BAK initiative) conducted among its signatories, the breakdown of their persecution is as follows.
47: Threats by the press, government and students
7: Forced resignations by the university administrations
29: Suspended by university administration
532: Admininistrative investigation by the university
38: Fired by the university
158: Criminal investigation by the public prosecutors
37: House search and detention by the police
3: Arrest by the state (under solitary confinement)
On March 25, BAK Iniative issued an Urgent Call for Solidarity in response to the cases of Kıvanç Ersoy, Muzaffer Kaya and Esra Mungan Gürsoy who were placed in solitary confinement. Earlier on March 22, in a letter sent to US Department of State, 143 US-based academics asked the US Government to call on the Turkish government immediately to stop the persecution of Academics for Peace, respect academic freedoms, free the arrested academics (Mungan, Kaya and Ersoy), and reinstate with compensation all the academics suspended or expelled during the persecution campaign.
