JOINT DECLARATION ISSUED BY THE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND ALL UNIVERSITIES
18 October 2023

We, the academic community of Turkey, strongly condemn Israel’s recent escalation of inhumane attacks against the Palestinian people, including its attack on 17 October 2023 targeting the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including babies, children, and women. We pray for Allah’s mercy on all our Palestinian brothers and sisters who lost their lives in these attacks and wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We share the pain of the Palestinian people. A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Gaza, representing a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law principles. We call for the immediate cessation of all attacks and acts of violence. We support the diplomatic efforts by Turkey aimed at establishing lasting peace in the region based on the two-state vision. In this context, as the academic community, we declare our readiness to fulfill all responsibilities incumbent upon us.