Attila Yayla is being called a traitor in the Turkish press and has been suspended from his teaching duties at his university all for daring to take an objective look as to just how progressive modern Turkey was under one party rule in its early decades. This attack on our colleague’s freedom of speech is a matter of great concern to those of us at the Minaret of Freedom Institute. A profound and dedicated advocate of freedom, Prof. Yayla was a catalyst for the creation of the Minaret of Freedom Institute when he pointed out the of an American Muslim libertarian think tank organizations like the Association for Liberal Thinking in Turkey. Over the years we have had a most satisfying and productive professional relationship and I have also come to love and respect him personally. Although Atilla is very secular by American standards, his informed respect for Islam and his commitment to freedom of religion are unusual among Turkey’s educated class. It is not any lack of secularity (as we Americans understand it) that has brought his current persecution, but his uncompromising commitment to freedom as the following press release from his institution and his own personal essay attest.
Where Are the Defenders of Free Speech and Academic Objectivity?
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