Academic Meral Camcı Arrested

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The academic Meral Camcı subjected to custody order upon signing the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime” has been arrested.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Meral Camcı who had been abroad as the custody order was issued, had returned to Turkey remarking “I will stand behind my words of peace and will keep on struggling”. The academic who had gone to the police department together with her lawyers yesterday (March 31), had been referred to the court demanding arrest after her interrogation by the prosecution.

The court has decided for her arrest.

Including Assist. Pror. Dr. Esra Mungan arrested yesterday, and the other three academics Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Ersoy, Assist. Prof Dr. Muzaffer Kaya and Assist. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Ersoy the number of academics arrested due to signing the peace declaration has risen to four.

What had happened?

Meral Camcı is among the signees of the declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime”. She has been academic for 14 years. She was working at Yeni Yüzyıl University, Department of Translation and Interpreting. She was expelled on February 24 after signing the declaration.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan had read the declaration with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Ersoy, Assist. Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Kaya on behalf of Academics for Peace İstanbul group on March 10.

They had expressed that prosecution has launched investigations without determining on which accusations will be based, and reiterated their peace call.

Police raided home following custody order on March 14. Three academics had gone to the police station on their own will. Camcı was abroad at the time. They were arrested on charge of “terrorism propaganda” on March 15.

She had returned Turkey on March 30 and referred to the prosecution after giving testimony in the police department.

Who is Meral Camcı?

Meral Camcı completed two bachelors, one MA, and one PhD degrees. She has been academic for 14 years.

She graduated from İstanbul University, Department of Chemistry at Engineering Faculty in 1995.

She completed her second bachelor degree at İstanbul University, Department of American Culture and Literature at Faculty of Literature.

She completed her MA at the same university with the thesis titled "Intertextual relations and translation" in 2005.

She did her PhD at again İstanbul University in science of translation.

Universities she worked at

She continued her academic career which started at Okan University in 2003 with Beykent and Arel universities. Her latest workplace was Nişantaşı University, Department of English Translation and Interpretation.

(BK/DG)