Joint Declaration Issued by the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye and All Universities

18 October 2023

As the Turkish academic community, we strongly condemn Israel's recent escalation and continuation of its inhumane attacks against the Palestinian people, and in this context, its attack on 17 October 2023 targeting the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which caused the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including babies, children, and women. We pray for God's mercy upon all our Palestinian brothers and sisters who lost their lives as a result of these attacks and wish the injured a swift recovery. We share the pain of the Palestinian people. A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Gaza. There is a clear violation of the principles of international law and international humanitarian law. We call for the immediate cessation of all attacks and acts of violence. We support the diplomatic initiatives undertaken by Türkiye on the basis of a two-state vision with the aim of establishing lasting peace in the region. In this context, as the academic community, we declare that we are ready to fulfill every responsibility that falls upon us.

For the full declaration, click here.