Kurtulmuş emphasized Turkey's commitment to the Palestinian cause and talked about the effects of Zionism and the pressures in the academy.
“24th Annual Meeting” held at Mardin Artuklu University. Kurtulmuş, who attended the "International Beytülmakdis Academy Symposium", "Gaza Şüheda Notebook Project Presentation" and "Courage Award Presentation Ceremony", stated in his speech here that he had given speeches at this university before, but the symposium held today was different and more meaningful.
Kurtulmuş noted that especially since October 7, a process that has been observed in Palestine every day with heavy sorrow and sadness, and from time to time made people feel ashamed of themselves in despair, said that the biggest massacre, the most inhumane ethnic cleansing that human history has seen in modern times, has reached the dimensions of genocide. He said that they have tried to make every effort to end these massacres, which were carried out in front of the eyes of the whole world, from the first day.
Emphasizing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, and all institutions and organizations are mobilized to ensure an immediate ceasefire and to urgently deliver aid to the oppressed people in Gaza to ensure their survival, Kurtulmuş said, “This is In this context, I can easily say that Turkey is one of the rare countries in the world where there is a great alliance between the government and the people regarding Gaza, and where the government and the people act together. Therefore, I would like to express once again our gratitude to our nation for the extraordinary spirit of solidarity that our nation has shown in aiding Gaza and supporting the Palestinian cause.” he said.
Pointing out that another dimension of the issue was discussed in this symposium, Kurtulmuş continued his words as follows:
“The ideology we call Zionism is not an ideology that only has military means or political mechanisms. Zionism is an ideology that needs to be approached with a much more global narrative. This includes the cultural, technological, scientific, artistic, even sports and media sides of the business. Zionist ideology is not only a mechanism that has the most burning and destructive weapons in the world, but also a destructive ideology that does not give a voice to opposing voices with the weapons it has in many parts of the world, especially in academia, culture and arts. Therefore, I would like to express that I find it extremely important to organize such an international meeting, especially where the effects of Zionism in the academy are discussed, and I would like to thank all our professors and students who contributed, especially the Rector of Artuklu University.”
“JERUSALEM AND MARDIN ARE SOUL TWINERS”
Recalling the programs organized within the scope of the Palestinian cause in Turkey, Kurtulmuş shared the following views:
“When someone talks about Palestine, Jerusalem and Gaza, they may speak with an idea, a heart and a feeling, but when we, as a nation, talk about these issues, we actually follow the footsteps of our ancestors with every sentence. Jerusalem has witnessed a great justice system in which we existed as a nation for four centuries, in which the sounds of adhan and bells, the psalms and prayers of the Jews on the wailing wall were mixed together, and people were governed with justice. Jerusalem and Mardin are soul mates. Their cities, streets and spirit are similar to each other. It is similar in terms of multiculturalism and the physical structure of the city. It is similar to both the fact that religions lived together in peace and the reflection of the common cultural structures there to this day. First of all, we follow the footsteps of our ancestors in Jerusalem and Gaza. "To take care of the Palestinian people, with whom we have such a great bond of love and historical contact, as our closest brother, is both an obligation of the day and of the moment and a responsibility imposed by history."
“IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ACADEMICS WITH CONSCIENCE AND CONSCIENCE BE ORGANIZED”
Stating that the special topic of today's symposium is "what can be done in the face of pressures, intimidations and threats in the field of academia", Kurtulmuş said: "First of all, it is very important for fair and conscientious academics to organize strongly on a global scale within this framework." he said.
Stating that another disguise in the academic field is the presentation of anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism, Kurtulmuş said:
“We know dozens of examples of how those who speak in any way about the expansionism of Zionism and the oppression of Zionism are immediately turned into anti-Semites. For this reason, especially those who fight against Zionism must be very careful about the language they use. We have to avoid generalizations and marginalizations and approach it in a manner that criticizes the consequences of this poisonous ideology, not as a statement against Jews or members of another religion. With these two disguises they used, they put scientists in the international arena, especially in the academy, into a spiral of despair. I say this as someone who tries to follow the scientific world in the West closely. "Whenever someone tries to say something in this context, they immediately try to cover it up with anti-Semitism or accusations of discrediting the Holocaust, two common curtains they use." He made statements as follows.
Mardin Governor Tuncay Akkoyun also made a speech in the program.
Vaki Akkoyun, who started her speech by wishing that the inhumane genocide in Jerusalem and Gaza would end as soon as possible, stated that Mardin and Jerusalem, which are the work of the same civilization, are two cities with brother spirits.
“SCIENCE HAS BECOME A TOOL OF EXPLOITATION AND ZIONISM”
Rector of Mardin Artuklu University and Chairman of the Symposium Organizing Committee Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özcoşar also made a speech.
Stating that Jerusalem and Palestine have long been one of the main focus areas of work at Mardin Artuklu University, Özcoşar said that he organized the International Beytülmakdis Academic Symposium “Academy and Zionism: Based on the fact that there is pressure on the academy from Zionism, which has been discussed in the academic field for a long time and which has come to light in a way that cannot be hidden anymore with the Gaza events. He explained what they prepared with the theme of "Pressures, Fears and Objections". Rector Özcoşar continued his speech as follows:
"A truth said by our esteemed president in the parliament yesterday: "Hamas is exactly what Kuvayi Milliye is in the national struggle" expressed an original and independent political stance that is far beyond the point where the academy, especially the western academy, stands. Unfortunately, the western academy, which claims to be the center of free thinking, is far behind this stance and is doomed to a mental addiction.
RECTOR ÖZCOŞAR: “THERE IS A NEED FOR AN EPISTEMIC FLOOD”
At this point, a widespread and dominant perception that equates antisemitism with antisionism has been transformed into a hegemonic understanding in the academic world. "I think Western academia needs rehabilitation, especially in the face of traumatic psychosis among academics in Europe, where the fear of falling into anti-Semitism has reached, and the Zionist oppression has reached such a level." He made a statement.
The opening program of the symposium was attended by the President of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Prof. Dr. In addition to Numan Kurtulmuş, Mardin Governor Tuncay Akkoyun, Members of Parliament Muhammed Adak and Faruk Kılıç, as well as Mardin Artuklu University Rector Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özcoşar, provincial protocol, scientists and academicians from Turkey and different countries of the world attended.
