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| Turkey academics held for criticism of army offensive | Turkey academics held for criticism of army offensive |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Twelve academics in Turkey have been arrested for denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in the south-east, reports say. | Twelve academics in Turkey have been arrested for denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in the south-east, reports say. |
| Those detained are lecturers at Kocaeli University in north-western Turkey, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. | Those detained are lecturers at Kocaeli University in north-western Turkey, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. |
| It said police were still processing paperwork against nine other academics at the university who also face arrest. | It said police were still processing paperwork against nine other academics at the university who also face arrest. |
| President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier criticised the academics for making "terrorist propaganda". | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier criticised the academics for making "terrorist propaganda". |
| The academics are being charged with violating the controversial Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, Hurriyet reported, by which it is illegal to insult the institutions of the Turkish nation. | The academics are being charged with violating the controversial Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, Hurriyet reported, by which it is illegal to insult the institutions of the Turkish nation. |
| Those arrested are signatories to a declaration signed by more than 1,000 academics in Turkey and abroad which calls on the government to halt "massacres" in the south-east. | |
| The signatories stated that they refused to be "a party to the crime" and called for the resumption of peace efforts with the rebels. | The signatories stated that they refused to be "a party to the crime" and called for the resumption of peace efforts with the rebels. |
| But President Erdogan accused those who signed the document - including renowned international linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky - of engaging in "terrorist propaganda" on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. | |
| The president accused the academics of being biased against the state and denounced them for failing to condemn rebel violence. He urged the judiciary to take action against their "treachery". | The president accused the academics of being biased against the state and denounced them for failing to condemn rebel violence. He urged the judiciary to take action against their "treachery". |
| There have been repeated clashes between PKK separatists and the Turkish army in recent months, and the violence has recently escalated. | There have been repeated clashes between PKK separatists and the Turkish army in recent months, and the violence has recently escalated. |
| On Thursday a car bomb which the authorities said was planted by the rebels detonated outside a police headquarters in Cinar district. Six people were killed. | On Thursday a car bomb which the authorities said was planted by the rebels detonated outside a police headquarters in Cinar district. Six people were killed. |
| The government has imposed a series of curfews in the mainly Kurdish south-east while militants have erected barricades, dug trenches and used explosives to keep the authorities away. | The government has imposed a series of curfews in the mainly Kurdish south-east while militants have erected barricades, dug trenches and used explosives to keep the authorities away. |
| Since August, human rights activists say 170 civilians have lost their lives in areas under curfew and thousands have been displaced. | Since August, human rights activists say 170 civilians have lost their lives in areas under curfew and thousands have been displaced. |
| The hashtag #1128katil (1,128 killers) was trending in Turkey on Thursday, particularly among government and nationalist supporters, apparently in reference to the academics. | The hashtag #1128katil (1,128 killers) was trending in Turkey on Thursday, particularly among government and nationalist supporters, apparently in reference to the academics. |