RESPONSES AND MESSAGES FROM OTHER ACADEMIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT RECENT ARRANGEMENTS CONCERNING TUBA
U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
President Prof. Ralph J. Cicerone
12 September 2011
The Association of Academies of Sciences in Asia (AASA)
The Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies (FASAS)
22 November 2011
Accademia Nazionale Delle Scienze Detta Dei XL President Emilia Chiancone
11th November 2011
Accademia Nazionale Delle Scienze Detta Dei XL President Emilia Chiancone
11th November 2011
Lars Walloe (President) - Academia Europaea - 14th October 2011
H. P. Zenner (Chairman of HRC) - Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences Human Rights Committee - 13.10.2011
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
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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
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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
