Ankara University Professor Acquitted of 'Promoting Terrorism' Charges

A Turkish court ruled in favor of an Ankara university professor who faced up to 7 years in prison for including a question about the leader of the now-dissolved Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on an exam. Rıza Barış Ünlo asked his students to compare two texts published by Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the PKK, who is serving a life sentence. However, the Turkish prosecutor's office charged him with 'promoting terrorism' and 'praising crime and criminals,' seeking his prosecution and punishment. According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian, Mr. Ünlo's trial took place on Wednesday, February 3, and ultimately, the judge ruled to acquit him of all charges. In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Mr. Ünlo described his trial as a 'blow to academic freedom' and stated that the purpose of such a trial was to 'deter university professors from addressing political taboos such as the Kurdish issue.' He indicated that this was a form of ultimatum to university professors not to engage with sensitive political issues. The Turkish army has been engaged in a conflict with PKK rebels for several months, a situation that has drawn criticism from human rights activists and opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. About three weeks ago, Turkish police also detained 12 academic figures for signing a statement opposing Ankara's military operations against the PKK. Concerns about the state of freedom of expression in the country have significantly increased, with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stating that Turkey has not been a good model for freedom of expression.