ETİK
PUBLIC NOTICE BY THE TURKISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
September 2nd 2011
Through the Decree Bearing the Force of Law published on August the 27th in the Official Gazette and coming into force on its date of publication, a new Turkish Academy of Sciences has been established under governmental management.
Establishment of this new institution that is departed from the internationally recognized tradition of science academies is regarded as a matter of concern by international scientific circles.
During the two meetings held in Istanbul and Ankara with our members who have learned of this development, within the two initial days of the Eid, the situation that concerns the Turkish Academy of Sciences has been discussed and it has been decided that through this action TÜBA has been terminated as an Academy.
Our members, who have been aware of this development, suggested that all members of the Academy should immediately resign and an autonomous new Academy should be established. However it has been decided that this proposed action should be brought to the attention of the President of the Republic first and that he should be informed of the possible detrimental effects of such a dual identity.
International academies which have been informed of this development declared their concern of this governmental decree and that they would remind the Turkish Government that all science academies of the world are self governing, independent/autonomous institutions.
Members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences confirmed their determination in resigning and reorganizing under a new institution in case no corrective results were to be obtained from their various attempts.
-------
MISSION OF TURKISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) was founded in 1993 as a scientifically, financially and administratively autonomous organization under the patronage of the Prime Minister. The Academy is open to natural, social and health sciences. The associate, full and honorary members were elected exclusively on academic merit. Currently there are 140 members, 42 of whom above the age of 70 are in honorary status. The number of full members was fixed at 2% of full professors in Turkish universities. The president and the 10 council members were elected by the General Assembly which convenes twice each year.
TUBA acted in the role of scientific advisor to the government, publishing reports, textbooks. workshop proceedings, organized national, regional and international scientific meetings, gave scholarships, awards. Establishment of a young academy (GEBIP), one of its first kind in many parts of the world was praised and even copied by academies in Europe and Asia.
In order to strengthen knowledge society in Turkey, TUBA started four major projects. Dictionary of Scientific Terms in Turkish Project was started in 2002 in order to increase and promote use of Turkish scientific terms in education and scientific works. Programme for Translation of University Text Books into Turkish aimed at closing the gap in university text boks in Turkey. To disseminate “Inquiry-Based Science and Mathematics Education (IBSE)”among teachers by “training the trainers”, TUBA has initiated Science Education Project on 2004. TUBA is also a member of Fibonnacci Project which is supported by EU 7.FP. about Science education Project. The major attempt to introduce Open CourseWare (OCW) to Turkish higher education system is accomplished by the Turkish Academy of Sciences. In 2007 a national Opencourseware Consortium was formed with members from 47 universities in Turkey and the number of members increased to 61 today.In 2010, the State Planning Organisation approved a 2-year project with a total budget of $2Million to support the Turkish OCW. The budget will be spent for translating good quality courses of MIT OCW project and for supporting original Turkish courses.
Aiming at protecting Turkish historical, cultural and natural heritage TUBA restorated RABİ Moslem Teological School and started the TUBA Forest Project.
TUBA was active in the establishment of Interacademy Panel (the global organization of science academies), ALLEA (organization of European academies) and Interacademy Medical Panel where it sits in the executive board. A member of AASA (organization of Asian science academies), the vice president and project coordinator are members of TUBA.
In June 2011 a governmental decree (ordinance) in the power of law disassociated TUBA from the office of Prime Minister and demoted it to the status of a directorate under the newly established Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology. Another government decree on August 27,2011 brought fundamental changes to the structure and modes of operation of TUBA. Briefly, the number of members was fixed at 300, with one third appointed by the government, one third appointed by the Higher Education Council and one third elected by the full members. The President is now appointed by a joint decree of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science,Industry and Technology. The age at which full members become honorary is brought down to 67. Honorary members are no longer members of the General Assembly. There will be no elections for many years for full membership until the number of present associate members comes down to 50.
This clearly indicates that from now on TUBA will be governed by the majority of members appointed by the government and the members elected on academic merit will be in minority. Members of TUBA consider these changes incompatible with the rules and procedures of a respectable science academy: There is no science academy in the world where the majority of members and the president are appointed directly by the government. Election of academy members and its president by their peers based on scientific merit and free from political considerations is, and has historically been, a sine qua non requirement for a science academy. Under these conditions there is a serious risk of expulsion of TUBA from respectable international academic organizations. Many members of TUBA indicated they may consider resigning from the Academy under these circumstances. It was decided to notify The President of the Republic of the grave concern of TUBA members.
-------
RESPONSES AND MESSAGES FROM OTHER ACADEMIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT RECENT ARRANGEMENTS CONCERNING TUBA
Lars Walloe (President) - Academia Europaea - 14 October 2011
H. P. Zenner (Chairman of HRC) - Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences Human Rights Committee - 13 October 2011
Letter dated 12 October 2011 from Enric Banda, President of EUROSCIENCE:
E-mail message dated 30 September 2011 from Professor Pierre Léna, Member of French Academy of Sciences
(Délégation à l'éducation et la formation Académie des Sciences)
E-mail message dated 30 September 2011, from Professor Yves Quéré, Member of the French Academy of Sciences and one of the initiators of the science education programme “La main à la pâte” in France.
Science
Bruce Alberts - Editor in Chief of Science - 29 September 2011
-------------------------------
Message dated 29 September 2011, received from the office of Professor Yuan Tseh Lee, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, postponing his visit to Turkey in December 2011, planned to take place upon the invitation of TÜBA within the framework of TÜBA’s “scheme of foreign lecturers”.
Dear .................
.....................
Recently Prof. Yuan T. Lee learned from the International Human Rights Network that the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) has been undergoing unpleasant disturbance from the Turkish government, and that President Yucel Kanpolat has been making all his efforts defending the autonomy of your Academy. Understanding the critical situation that TUBA is facing, Prof. Lee suggests to postpone his visit to Istanbul and Ankara this December to a more appropriate time in the future. Please convey this message to President Yucel Kanpolat, along with our most respectful regards.
Sincerely yours,
Wen-fang Mong
Secretary to Prof. Yuan T. Lee
---------------------------
The Interacademy Medical Panel (IAMP) - 26 September 2011
Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf - President - Royal Nerherlands Academy of Arts and Scinces
23 September 2011
International Union of Psychological Science - 21 September 2011
Rainer K. Silbereisen (President)
Pierre Ritchie (Secretary General)
Alain CARPENTIER - Institut de France - Academie des Sciences
16 September 2011
Letter dated 14 September 2011, sent from UK academies (the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences) in response to the government decree regarding the restructuring of the Turkish Academy of Sciences. The same letter was also sent to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Sciences.
All European Academies (ALLEA) - 12 September 2011
Prof. Jüri Engelbrecht (President ALLEA)
Prof. Nicholas Mann (Vice-president ALLEA)
Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei - President of EMAN
Prof. Maurizio Brunori
15 September 2011
Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei - IL Presidente
Lamberto Maffei
15 September 2011
TWAS - President - Prof. Jacob Palis
14 September 2011
Ned Stafford
Turkish academics fight government interference
13 September 2011
Ned Stafford/Hamburg, Germany
A delegation of as many as six members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) are set to meet with Turkey's president later this week to try to convince the government to reverse a controversial decision to reorganise the academy. Members fear the reorganisation will compromise the academy's independence.
The government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced details of what it described as 'reform' of the academy on 27 August. The changes include transferring authority to appoint the academy's president from academy members to the government. Furthermore, the number of academy members, previously appointed only from within the academy, will nearly triple to 300, with appointments divided equally between the government, the Council of Higher Education and principal academy members.
The Turkish government wants the authority to appoint members to the country's science academy
Namik Aras, a US-trained nuclear chemist who is an honorary member of the Turkish Academy, tells Chemistry Worldthat the Turkish president Abdullah Gül plans to meet with him and other academy representatives soon. 'This is a good sign,' says Aras, who after earning his doctorate in the 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology held several positions at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, including chairman of the chemistry department.
Currently, when principal members reach the age of 70 they become honorary members and retain voting rights. Under the new changes, the age limit for principal members is 67, and honorary members no longer retain voting rights.
The International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies sent a letter to prime minister Erdogan expressing its strong support for the Academy, saying: 'We are deeply distressed to learn of the recent government decree that appears to restructure TÜBA and effectively remove its independence.'
The reasons behind the government decree remains unclear, but academy members don't think that it is attempt by the government to silence them on topics that could intersect with religion, such as evolution. Aras says the government appears to believe the change 'will help development of science and technology in Turkey'. The Turkish press has quoted some scientists saying that the academy has developed into a 'club' that has excluded prestigious academics.
'It is not possible to call this a "reform",' says Yücel Kanpolat, president of TÜBA. 'This is interfering with the independence the Academy, thus destroying the most important aspect of this scientific institution. This is also against the universal tradition of the Academy, which needs to be free and independent to elect its own members and president.'
Aras, a former secretary general of the Association of Academies of Sciences of Asia, says: 'It basically makes the Academy of Science just another organisation of government.' Aras says that, in his opinion, only scientists are qualified to appoint members to a science academy, adding: 'The government does not choose members of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.'
Some academy members have suggested that if the government's decision is not reversed, they might resign and form a new academy. 'This is an option,' says Aras. However, he says this would be a 'last option,' noting that establishing a new academy without government funding would be difficult.
Science
6 September 2011
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/09/turkish-government-takes-control.html
Nature
1 September 2011
Global Network of Science Academies-IAP Letters, 8 September 2011
International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scolarly Societies Letter and Memorandum, 6 September 2011
MEMORANDUM
September 6, 2011
TO: Current and Potential H.R. Network Members
FROM: Carol Corillon, Executive Director
SUBJECT: Autonomy of Turkish Academy of Sciences threatened
A recent decree by the Turkish government appears to restructure the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) in such a manner as to effectively remove its autonomy. As you are aware, one of the charges of the H.R. Network is to support sister academies whose independence is threatened. Thus, after consulting with the President and numerous members of TUBA, the Executive Committee of the H.R. Network wrote to the Turkish government authorities to express its deep distress at this development and urge that it quickly reverse the legislation and, instead, support and strengthen TUBA. The letter is included as an attachment to this email.
Please ask your academy or scholarly society to endorse publicly the Executive Committee’s letter (by writing to the Turkish authorities below and/or posting it on your website). You might also contact your country’s major news and science journals, etc. The journals “Science” and “Nature” will include news stories on this disturbing development in this week’s issues. Another option is for your academy to simply make its own appeal and public statement in support of TUBA.
Committee on Human Rights The National Academies
InternationalAcademy Medical Panel- IAMP
7 September 2011
Unfortunate changes in governance at Turkey’s Academy of Science
IAMP – the interacademy medical panel – has been informed of disturbing changes recently imposed by the government of Turkey on TUBA, the Turkish Academy of Sciences. In removing decision-making on the selection of the President and Members of the academy from the scientific community of Turkey, it would seem that TUBA has been deprived of its independence. Regardless of their physical location or source of funding, the ability of Academies of science and medicine to elect their members on the basis of scientific merit, and select their own leadership, are hallmarks of the independence needed to provide high quality, evidence based recommendations and advice to government and the public on which are at the heart of the role of academies in the international scientific and medical community. TUBA has been an active member of this international academic community, and was also seen by many as a critical link to other countries in the region. IAMP has been privileged to rely on the support and expertise of TUBA as an active and engaged member of its Executive Committee.
We strongly urge the Turkish government to reconsider their recent decisions regarding the changes to the governance, structure and membership of TUBA, the Turkish Academy of Sciences.
Jo Ivey Boufford & Looi Lai-meng
(Co-chairs)
The British Academy, Head of International Relations
Ms. Jane Lyddon's Message
Dear ……….,
We have just heard about the government decree at the end of last month about your Academy. We are shocked and horrified, and are considering whether there is anything we might do to offer support. Do you know if there would be a view that it would be useful for our Academy to write to your government expressing our concern at the loss of autonomy and citing the importance of academic freedom and independence? Any comments or advice would be much appreciated.
With best wishes,
Jane
**********************
Ms Jane Lyddon
Head of International Relations
The British Academy