Türkiye’s Director of Communications has condemned the systematic efforts by pro-Israel groups to silence voices in support of Palestine through false accusations of antisemitism.
“Such activity has now reached some of the most reputable academic institutions in the U.S., such as Harvard,” Altun emphasised in a statement on Saturday, referring to the removal of Turkish-American Professor Cemal Kafadar from the chairmanship of Harvard’s Center for Middle East Studies.
He added that the action, based on “clearly false and blatantly broad accusations of antisemitism,” demonstrates the double standards of American universities that have long claimed moral superiority regarding academic freedom and freedom of expression.
The removal of the world-renowned Ottoman historian Kafadar comes just days after a Turkish doctoral student in the US, Rumeysa Ozturk, was detained and faced attempted deportation, reportedly due to a campaign by Canary Mission — a pro-Israel website that blacklists pro-Palestine students and activists.
“The American government’s pressure on universities, as well as the removal of individuals from the U.S. as a result of their opinions and activism for Palestine, goes against the fundamental values America has championed for so long,” Altun stressed, accusing Israel’s Western allies of pursuing a “witch hunt”.
He called on Western academic institutions to “stand against unreasonable and extremist requests to target international students and scholars,” stressing that such Zionist groups “are now resorting to silencing legitimate criticism and peaceful activism through despicable tactics.”
The communications director once again affirmed that Türkiye firmly rejects any attempt to depict pro-Palestine activism as antisemitism.
Ankara's Embassy in Washington and relevant Consulates General are providing all kinds of consular services and legal support for Rumeysa Ozturk, says Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
