Admitting that he is personally behind the expulsion of the last 72 academicians, the president of Turkey further went public to threaten the professors

Not explaining why there has not been a criminal investigation for the “crimes” committed by academicians Erdoğan lashed out to professors and teachers for resisting his arbitrary firing and gutting universities to the point where faculties are literally facing closures for lack of lecturers.

Using a suspicious coup attempt against his government which many believe was an inside job useful as a smokescreen, Erdoğan has been attacking any and all who would criticize his party’s undemocratic and embarrassingly corrupt regime.

Tens of thousands who have not supported him strongly enough were fired from government jobs including prosecutors, judges, top generals, top and low level police and security forces.  The accusations centered around the Islamic cleric who had been a very close and integral part of Erdoğan’s government and had a fall out with him over foreign policy and sharing the loot from rampant corruption.

The Islamic cleric, an ex-partner of president Erdoğan, is Fethullah Gülen, a CIA operative who has been brought to the US to run his global business of private schools to support his Islamic movements. It is widely accepted that the billions of dollars he is allowed to make with CIA cover and support goes directly to terrorist Islamic organizations, especially in the Middle East.

After the fall-out between Erdoğan and Fethullah Gülen, Turkey has been demanding the extradition of the cleric to Turkey to face terrorism and other charges.  USA refuses to hand over its asset back to Turkey.

After the July 15th suspicious coup attempt all those who have been critical of Erdoğan and his ruling AKP party have been accused of belonging to the Fethullah terrorist organization which has been named to be behind the strange coup.  Many were arrested and faced torture and other abuses.  Many events on the day of the coup points to Erdoğan’s pre-knowledge of the uprising but allowing it to proceed to be defeated to give Erdogan a victory and an excuse to get rid of all his adversaries.

The problem with the Turkish government’s accusations is that many dissidents who are staunch defenders of secularism and strongly oppose religion and Islam are the ones getting arrested.  There was never an explanation from the government on this contradiction.

The last wave of the attacks fell on academics when the infamous decree number 686 expelled hand picked dissident academics from the universities.  The academicians are “accused” of signing a declaration last year calling for peace in the country amidst the government’s ambition to enter a war to please the US and also unprecedented military assaults against its own Kurdish citizens.

Kurdish region in Turkey has been under a brutal military rule for the last few years, however last year there has been an escalation of attacks against the Kurdish citizens.  Entire towns have been levelled under Turkish police and military attacks where citizens have been burned alive by the military after taking refuge in the basement of their homes, like in Cizre.

Trying to prevent the escalation of violence both in Syria where Turkey secretly helps the ISIS terrorist organization with full knowledge of the US government and in Kurdistan where civilians have become open targets of the military and the police aided by ISIS fighters inside the country.

All academicians who supported peace is now in the crosshairs of the Turkish government.  Although many academicians who support peace are leftists, secularists, and strong anti Islamists, this has not stopped the government, ridiculously, expelling them under the “extraordinary period” decrees brought about to fight the Islamic cleric’s so-called Islamic coup attempt.

As many agree, it seems obvious that targeting the academicians has nothing to do with “fighting Fethullah terrorism” but instead is a punishment by Erdoğan those who oppose his fascist dictatorship and quest for war to please the US.

After the firings, however, the professors and lecturers refused to give in and decided to fight back.  Having the entire intellectual and progressive movements and the organizations like The Chamber of Physicians, the Chamber of Engineers and Architects and many labor unions like the second largest labor union confederation in the land, academicians decided to continue their lectures.  The university administration then called the police and prevented the teachers to enter the campus.  Many professors, men and women, were dragged on the ground, beaten, injured and arrested by the Turkish police for trying to continue their lectures and education with their students.

Seeing the support the academicians are receiving from the people and understanding their resolve to fight back, Erdoğan had to step in to change the perception.

In a speech Erdoğan gave after returning from his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain yesterday indicated that he has no problem with the expulsion of total 330 academicians for signing a call for peace.

Earlier Erdoğan had attacked the academicians and said, “Hey, you fake intellectuals, you are dark, you are not bright; you are not intellectuals, you are illiterate!”

The language and hatred against the independent academicians makes sense when we are reminded that despite a requirement to have earned a college degree to be the president in Turkey, Erdogan has never been able to provide his college diploma.  He has not had a single person remember him from the college he claims he has graduated from.  When confronted to present his diploma, the president called for help to his aides who produced not one but two contradictory diplomas that were immediately mocked as being obviously fake.  After his “graduation” from college Erdoğan completed his military service as a private.  This raises more questions because someone who has a college diploma serves as an officer in the Turkish army.

Accused of not having a college degree and not being able to prove he has one, it is understandable if Erdoğan attacks the professors as “illiterates.”

After his return from visiting the Middle East countries, at the heel of the CIA chief, Erdogan again attacked the professors.  He said, “If politicians, bureaucrats or technocrats are paying for their crimes, shouldn’t the professors, assistant professors, or those with PhD degrees also pay for their crimes?  I hope they don’t mind, but, if they are in the business of dividing my country and if they are related to Fethullah organization or the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) of course they will pay a price.  In a situation like this whatever is legally necessary will take place.  Nobody should be bothered by this process.”

However, the president did not volunteer what crime was committed in the peace declaration signed by academicians and intellectuals that stated firmly, “We will not be a part of this crime,” exposing the crimes of the Turkish state and the government.

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