140 economists release message of support for Prof Ayşe Buğra after Erdoğan's insults
Some 140 prominent Turkish economists have released a message of support for Prof. Ayşe Buğra, saying they “feel honored and proud” to be her colleague. The joint statement came after Buğra was targeted by President Erdoğan last week.
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Some 140 prominent Turkish economists have released a message of support for Prof. Ayşe Buğra, after the academic was targeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week.
“Dear Ayşe Buğra, we feel honored and proud to be your colleagues. We send our wishes of friendship and solidarity,” read the joint message released by the economists.
Among the signatories of the message are Daron Acemoğlu, Ahmet İnsel, Nesrin Nas, Korkut Boratav and Ümit Özlale.
Buğra is a professor of political economy at Istanbul's Boğaziçi University, which has been at the center of protests for over a month now after Erdoğan appointed an academic with ties to the ruling party as rector.
Erdoğan last week insulted both Buğra and her husband renowned activist Osman Kavala when he was commenting on the ongoing Boğaziçi University protests.
"The wife of Osman Kavala is a woman who is among the provocateurs at Boğaziçi University," Erdoğan said on Feb. 5.
Following Erdoğan's remarks, Buğra said that she was “deeply shaken” and that calling her a "provocateur" is disrespectful towards the students. "The word is so horrible that it's disrespectful towards the students," Buğra told daily Sözcü on Feb. 7.