This article analyzes how the (ab)use of law has been weaponized by the ruling elites to punish critical academics and researchers, particularly after the failed 2016 coup attempt. My own exclusion from academia exemplifies this process, which can be understood through the lens of Louis Althusser's work on Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs). Althusser (1971) argued that education, a key ISA, allows state elites to control and manipulate the masses.
Following Althusser, I argue that the ruling AKP elites engaged in a post-coup witch-hunt, targeting higher education and research to reshape these ISAs. Thousands of researchers and academics lost their jobs; some fled the country, while others were imprisoned for their political views. Additionally, researchers like myself have been systematically excluded from active work life through repeated employment rejections.
The government blamed the Gülenist network (labeled the "Fethullahist terror organization") for the coup, leading to the vilification and subsequent exile or unemployment of thousands of academics. This massive purge resulted in over 5,000 dismissals, dwarfing the combined number from all previous coup periods. Some were forced to leave Turkey; others were imprisoned.
Furthermore, researchers like myself have faced human rights violations through discriminatory hiring practices. Despite my qualifications—243 citations on Google Scholar, a top 0.5% ranking on Academia.edu, several peer-reviewed articles, a book, two e-books, a book chapter, three full conference papers, several conference presentations, and editorial board memberships—I have been systematically rejected by both public and private universities. For example, a dean at a private university told me the position I applied for was already filled before the vacancy was posted.
This morning, I saw a tweet by Dr. M. Emin Adın, an assistant professor of radiology at Yale University, recounting his own experience with similar discriminatory practices. He was rejected from a position at a provincial ("taşra") university because the rector favored another candidate.
This systematic exclusion constitutes a human rights violation and fuels a devastating brain drain. My experience reflects a broader pattern of repression, highlighting the devastating consequences of the government's actions on individual scholars and the academic landscape.
My note for the reader: This blog post has been edited by Gemini 1.5 Pro.
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