Academics for Peace

They wanted to be able to defend themselves in Kurdish language while on trial, the improvement of Abdullah Öcalan's detention conditions, and the start of peace negotiations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

[2] Then, since negotiations between Öcalan and politicians of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) were initiated in January 2013,[3] the Academics for Peace actively informed about it.

[2] After the peace process was terminated and the conflict gained force the BAK signed a second petition called "We will be not a party to this crime!".

[4] The petition was directed against the human rights violations in cities like Nusaybin, Cizre and Diyarbakır and demanded the reactivation of the peace process.

[10] Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) made a statement accusing the Academics for Peace of treason, while several signatories received threats over anonymous messages and had their universities offices marked red.

[5] The Turkish Government ordered the detention and arrest of dozens of signatories of the second petition and accused them of propaganda for a terrorist organization.