Elçin Aktoprak (Law, Ankara, Elkana Fellow 2022/2023)
In January 2016, over 2,000 scholars signed a peace petition opposing the Turkish government’s military operations in the Kurdish region. This collective act of conscience calling for an end to civilian casualties was met with severe repression. Signatories were branded as “traitors,” subjected to threats, and even physical attacks, while their academic freedoms were systematically violated. More than 400 academics were unjustly dismissed from their position. Despite this, the experience strengthened their commitment to human rights and their determination to advocate for a more just and democratic society. In this context, nearly eight years ago, the School of Human Rights Association was established by Peace Petitioners dismissed from Ankara University, many of whom had previously worked at the university’s Human Rights Center. The School of Human Rights envisions a Turkey where human rights and freedoms thrive within an egalitarian and democratic academic and public sphere, rooted in the principles of freedom of science and art.
Our mission is to improve the knowledge and skills of human rights defenders, and especially of young people, in order to contribute to the development of this ideal public sphere. In a context in which academic freedom has been restricted in Turkey and censorship, especially in the field of human rights, has become the norm, we aim to promote intellectual debate in the field of human rights studies, to inform the public by monitoring rights violations, and to strengthen democratic values in society. Our main activities include training, research, publishing, and submitting monitoring reports. We combine remote with face-to-face training, using digital platforms to effectively reach our young audience. Research forms the backbone of all our efforts.
In recent years, maintaining key financial resources has become increasingly difficult. In this context, the Elkana fellowship awarded to Elçin Aktoprak in 2023 has been a cornerstone for sustaining the school’s operations and strengthening our capacity for new successful project applications. In this way, the Elkana program enabled the School of Human Rights to continue on its path and strengthen the infrastructure of its digital platform.
To learn more about our activities, please visit our websites:
https://www.insanhaklariokulu.org/
https://hub.insanhaklariokulu.org/