IPSA Statement on Academic Freedoms in Turkey

The International Political Science Association (IPSA) expresses its sincere regrets that more than one hundred scholars of Political Science in Turkey were not able to attend the 24^th World Congress of Political Science held in Poznan, July 24-28, 2016. IPSA understands that the travel ban on Turkish scholars have now been relaxed. We encourage the removal of the remaining restrictions as soon as possible to allow our colleagues to attend scholarly meetings and pursue other activities that constitute an inseparable part of their professional life.

Simultaneously, IPSA would like to emphasize its unqualified commitment to the observation and protection of the academic freedoms that are an integral part of professional rights of scholars, and the democratic freedoms to which they are entitled as citizens. IPSA feels strongly that Turkey, as a member of the community of democratic nations, is expected to subscribe to the same rules of academic and democratic freedoms and implement them in the same spirit as in other nations, even if under difficult conditions.

Based on the principles expressed in its statement on academic freedom, IPSA believes that international Political Science can only flourish under conditions in which academic and democratic freedoms are widely enjoyed.