Noam Chomsky.
President of the Republic of Turkey, R.T Erdogan, invited Noam Chomsky to “see the terror of the PKK” with “his own eyes”, Chomsky rejected.
He replied to the invitation by email to the Guardian:
“Turkey blamed Isis [for the attack on Istanbul], which Erdoğan has been aiding in many ways, while also supporting the al-Nusra Front, which is hardly different. He then launched a tirade against those who condemn his crimes against Kurds – who happen to be the main ground force opposing Isis in both Syria and Iraq. Is there any need for further comment?”
The invite from Erdogan came after N.Chomsky – and many other scholars – signed a petition against the Turkish government, calling on it to stop its siege (“Vendetta” – as said in the petition) against the Kurds and the PKK.
The president accused academics who signed the petition of being armchair academics: The Turkish state further responded by arresting academics who signed the petition, signed by over one thousands scholars, in Turkey and abroad.
Turkey’s Higher Education Council (Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu, or YÖK) has treated the petition as ‘PKK, terrorist propaganda, moving it outside the realm of free speech protection.
Violence has been escalated
Human rights groups have said, since August, 170 civilians have lost their live’s in areas under curfew. thousands displaced. Turkey’s officials deny these figures.
On Thursday, a car bomb planted by rebels killed six people, including children, at an police headquarters in Diyarbakir.
