CONDEMNING THE REPRESSION IN TURKEY

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has a long and honorable history of support for democracy here and abroad; and

WHEREAS, the democratically elected government of Turkey has recently survived an unwarranted military coup, preserving the democratic process in a vital NATO ally and a keystone country for regional security; and

WHEREAS, the government of Turkey continues to punish educators, nurses and government employees in response to the attempted coup and is using the current political climate to justify the silencing of anyone who may not agree with the government; and

WHEREAS, nearly 24,000 teachers and Ministry of Education employees, in addition to 9,000 civil servants, have been detained in recent days, including public employees, nurses, judges, religious figures and others; and

WHEREAS, while the Turkish government has the right to hold accountable in a lawful manner those involved in the recent coup attempt, the speed and scale of these retaliations is a politically motivated purge, rather than due process based on evidence:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will join with the American Association of University Professors, Education International and Public Services International in demanding the government of Turkey respect the rule of law and adhere to international human rights norms and standards; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will immediately communicate its concern to the president of the United States, the National Security Council and the U.S. secretary of state; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will strengthen our ties with the Academics for Peace, representing Turkish academics in defense of their rights to free speech and association.