As per the 2023 Academic Freedom Index report, Turkey is positioned at 166th out of 179 countries. Turkey shares the same group as North Korea, Belarus, and Turkmenistan, facing allegations of severe human rights violations and restrictions on freedom by international organizations.
According to the 2023 Academic Freedom Index report, Turkey is ranked 166th out of 179 countries. Turkey shares the same group with North Korea, Belarus, and Turkmenistan, all facing severe allegations of human rights violations and freedom restrictions by international organizations.
Although Turkey was in the 134th position in 2012, it had a significantly higher index score. The decline in Turkey’s Academic Freedom Index score from 0.43 to 0.08 between 2012 and 2022 indicates a rapid deterioration in freedom levels over the past decade.
The Academic Freedom Index, conducted by the Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem) at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) at Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, aims to measure academic freedom worldwide. It evaluates the actual level of academic freedom based on five key indicators:
- Research and teaching freedom
- Academic exchange and dissemination freedom
- Institutional autonomy
- Campus integrity
- Academic and cultural expression freedom
Turkey is in the “worst” group, along with North Korea, Belarus, and Turkmenistan
According to the index, Turkey is placed in the “worst 10%” group, indicating countries where academic freedoms are most restricted. In this group, the countries are ranked as follows: Cuba, Rwanda, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Nicaragua, China, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Bahrain, Syria, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Eritrea, Burma/Myanmar, North Korea.
Many of these countries are known for human rights violations. Egypt is just above Turkey, and Iran is below it.
When looking at the data from the Academic Freedom Index between 2002 and 2022, it is evident that Turkey experienced a sharp decline in 2016, and this trend has continued.
In 2016, through the enactment of decree-laws (KHK), 15 foundation universities were shut down, leading to the dismissal of numerous academics from their positions. According to the Turkey Media Ownership Monitoring report, as of 2020, 6,081 academics and 1,427 personnel from university administrative staff were expelled.
The countries with the highest levels of academic freedom worldwide include Czechia, Estonia, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Honduras, Luxembourg, Latvia, Finland, Argentina, Slovakia, Sweden, Chile, Jamaica, Peru, Spain, Israel, Nigeria, and Slovenia. All of these nations are part of the “top 10% best” group.
Turkey has been on a downward trajectory since 2016
Among those affected are individuals who, on January 11, 2016, identified themselves as “Academics for Peace” and signed a declaration asserting, “We will not be a party to this crime.”
Conversely, academics in Turkey have been voicing significant concerns about financial hardships in recent years.
Despite salary increases in the latter half of 2023, the salary for research assistants remains below the poverty line. A professor will receive a salary only 4.2 times the minimum wage, marking the second-lowest ratio since 2013.