POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN

This blog has regularly posted items in support of faculty and students resisting attacks on academic freedom at universities in Turkey (see, for examples, here, here, and here; see also from Academe magazine, Fall 2019, here).  Now Turkish universities are facing another crisis: the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that hit that country and neighboring Syria last week. The following is an appeal for financial support from BOYUT (Bogazici University International Community). To contribute go to https://gofund.me/2c273bac

We are raising funds for supporting university students that are directly affected by the recent earthquakes. Initially, the campaign will focus on students from six universities: Boğaziçi University, Middle East Technical University (METU), Istanbul Technical University (İTU), Yıldız Technical University (YTU), Ankara University, and Hacettepe University. We plan to expand the campaign’s reach to other universities in the following weeks after we establish reliable contacts and networks.

The double earthquakes that hit on 6th February have been devastating for thousands of university students who had families in the disaster area. Some of them lost their family members, their friends, and their homes. Since it was semester-break time, many of them were (and some still are) in the region, and experienced the horrors of the disaster directly. In addition to the unbearable trauma they have been going through, they have also lost the financial support they normally get from their families. They need our help, and they need it now.

In the first round, we aim to reach 400 students with a one-time stipend worth €250 per person in aid. This humble support will address their immediate needs and help them start rebuilding their lives post-disaster. Therefore, initially, we aim to collect €100,000 in total.

Earthquakes as a humanitarian and political disaster

Since the 6th of February Turkey has been deeply shaken by a disaster that experts have long warned about, but the authorities failed to prepare for. Two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.8 and 7.5 hit southeast Turkey, devastating 10 cities in the country and even more in northwest Syria. According to official reports, which some speculate may be underestimating the impact, more than 7000 buildings were razed to the ground in Turkey, and the majority of the building stock in affected areas will no longer be habitable. The earthquakes directly affected more than 15 million people, and their homes and cities have been destroyed. The death toll is rising every day. As of the 13th of February, the official figures are higher than 30,000 in Turkey, and 4,000 in Syria.

Turkish civil society and the international community have immediately responded to this tragedy. However, the unpreparedness of the authorities, as well as the top-down disaster response, delayed the rescue operations and relief efforts. Local and international news showed survivors waiting for days for search and rescue teams and humanitarian aid to reach them, reportedly costing thousands of lives.

Furthering the civil society’s efforts is vital not only to meet earthquake survivors’ material needs but also to give them hope for healing and a better future, which we aim to build together with your invaluable contributions.

We are fundraising to meet the immediate needs of university students affected by the disaster

The funds will be given to the students who are directly affected by the earthquake or have family who did so. The recipients will be identified in cooperation with the student councils of the selected universities.

Please show your support by donating and/or circulating the campaign within your circles.

As Bogazici University International Community, we will run this campaign in a transparent manner. Donors will be regularly updated about the process. The collected funds will be transferred to university students by Germany-based BOYUT member and Boğaziçi University alumnus Alperen Yüncü.

With solidarity,
BOYUT (Bogazici University International Community)
https://boyutbogazici.org/en/about-boyut-2/

Supporting Academics
Prof. Judith Butler, University of California
Dr. Devrim Umut Aslan, Lund University
Dr. Zeynep Akçakaya, Sabanci University
Dr. Inci Öykü Yener-Roderburg, University of Duisburg-Essen