Turkish Academy of Sciences backs pro-Palestine campus protests in US

The Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) has expressed solidarity with US academics and students protesting Israel's ongoing Gaza offensive, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians in the enclave so far.

"TUBA stands in solidarity with these students and academics, and supports their right to peaceful protest. We express our profound disquietude over the excessive reactions against these student demonstrations based on the pursuit of peace and human rights," the association said in a statement on Monday.

Emphasising that the demonstrations on US campuses were protesting "the severe conditions, especially systematic genocide, affecting innocent people in Gaza Strip," it noted that they have been taking place over the last six months in universities including Columbia, Emory, Yale, New York, and Harvard.

They have been calling for a cessation of hostilities and urging their respective universities to sever links with companies connected to Israel, added the statement.

"TUBA has observed with concern reports of violent encounters facing these students, and academics, leading to detentions and a pivot towards remote education aimed at dispersing these gatherings," it said.

Supporting academic freedom, human rights

"TUBA firmly believes that such responses not only undermine the principles of academic freedom but also contravene fundamental human rights," it added.

The statement also included a call for "all involved parties" to engage in dialogue and respect the rights of individuals to express their concerns peacefully.

In it, TUBA declared its "commitment to supporting academic freedom, protecting human rights and promoting global peace and justice."

"We hope that the inhumane attacks against innocent people in Palestine will end as soon as possible," it added.

Flouting a provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice, Israel continues its onslaught on Gaza where at least 34,488 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,643 injured since October 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.