The Union of University Teaching Staff (OES) Press Release

OES is following with concern the events and its results which developed recently and the proliferation of hysterical lynchings after it was learned that Abdullah Ocalan was in Italy. The latest developments of police attacks against the legal party of HADEP, against Kurdish cultural and press organizations, against people of Kuridsh origin and even more important than these, the fact that these attacks have been accompanied by attempts of lynchings by the racist and religious fanaticism is reminding us of the most darkest pages of our recent past where massacres took place in Kahramanmaras, Corum and Sivas.

On the other hand, the event of Abdullah Ocalan's departure from Syria could have been used as a means to heal the wounds left by this war among brothers waging for the last 15 years causing tens of thousands of lives to be lost, villages and hamlets to be evacuated and that many more people to be forcefully relocated. In this context, there could have been solutions created based on logic and common sense for our country's problems to end violations of human rights and to create peace and friendship based on mutual understanding.

We, the members of the OES (The Union of University Teaching Staff), are concluding that specially in this last stage, our country is being dragged to an adventure with no predictable end, and the mentality of revenge provoked by leaders, politicians and the media is fueling the ethnic conflicts and that the propagation of the environment of 'low intensity warfare' which has prevailed for years to sections of the society will cause unhealing wounds to be created. We are calling attention to the current environment of stress which is increasingly creating a basis of social consent to all antidemocratic forces that suppresses any idea not confirming with the official viewpoint or is opposed to it. We are warning the authorities and are calling the public to civic duty against this dangerous trend.

Union of University Teaching Staff

Central Executive Committee