Joint statement on secularism from 168 prominent figures

A group of 168 writers, artists, academics, journalists, and representatives of professional chambers, including figures such as Korkut Boratav, Oğuzhan Müftüoğlu, Hayri Kozanoğlu, Merdan Yanardağ, İlhan Cihaner, Melike Demirağ, Ayşe Kulin, Müjde Ar, Şükrü Erbaş, Rutkay Aziz, Canan Güllü, and Timur Soykan, drafted a text titled "We Defend Secularism Together," stating, "The political Islamist regime is dragging Turkey step by step into the reactionary quagmire of the Middle East by clinging to the coattails of the US and Trump. Defending secularism is not a crime. We defend secularism together, and we reject Sharia-based impositions!"

The text titled "We Defend Secularism Together" is as follows:

"We Defend Secularism Together

Our country, in line with the plans of the US and Israel and alongside developments in our region, has come under pressure for 'Talibanization.' This US-backed reactionary attack has turned into the most pressing threat facing our country.

The political Islamist regime is dragging Turkey step by step into the reactionary quagmire of the Middle East by clinging to the coattails of the US and Trump.

Moves aimed at dismantling secular education, the secular legal order, and secular public life step by step have gained momentum. These moves have reached the point of ignoring the provocations and attacks of the reactionary minority against the calls for secularism rising from society, and even punishing those who defend the secular republic as 'criminals'—in total disregard of the Constitution. Defending secularism is not a crime. We defend SECULARISM together, and we reject Sharia-based impositions! We will not surrender to the darkness!"

The initial signatories on laikligisavunuyoruz.org are as follows:

ADNAN SERDAROĞLU, Former President of Birleşik Metal-İş - ALPER TAŞ, SOL Party Central Executive Committee Member, AHMET HİLMİ HACALOĞLU, Journalist - AHMET İRFAN TÜKOLU, President of the Chamber of Metallurgical and Materials Engineers - AHMET KARAGÖZ, KESK Co-President - AHMET TELLİ, Poet - ALAEDDİN ŞENEL, Prof. Dr. Academic - ALEV ÖZKAZANÇ, Political Scientist, Prof. Dr. - ALİ ASKER, Musician - ALİ BALKIZ, Writer, Former President of ABF - ALİ ONAT ÇETİN, Secretary General of the Social Democracy Association - ALİ TANSU BALCI, Academic Dr. - ALİ YALÇINER, Theater Director - ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU, Poet - ATİLLA ÖZSEVER, Journalist – AYLİN TOPAL, Academic, Prof. Dr., AYKUT ÇOBAN, Academic, Prof. Dr. - AYKURT NUHOĞLU, Former Mayor of Kadıköy - AYSUN GEZEN, Academic - AYŞE KULİN, Writer - AYŞEGÜL KARS KAYNAR, Academic, Assoc. Prof. Dr. - AYŞEGÜL YALÇINER, Theater Artist - AZİZ KONUKMAN, Academic, Prof. Dr. - BAHADIR BERDİCİOĞLU, KESK Central Executive Committee Member - BAKİ ASLAN, Former President of the METU Alumni Association - BAKİ REMZİ SUİÇMEZ, President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers - BARIŞ İNCE, Writer - BAYAR ŞAHİN, Musician - BERKANT GÜLTEKİN, Journalist - BEYAZIT İLHAN, Physician - BÜLENT TATLI, Secretary of the Chamber of Civil Engineers - CAN UĞUR, Journalist - CANAN GÜLLÜ, President of the Federation of Women Associations of Turkey - CEM EROĞUL, Academic, Prof. Dr. - ÇAĞDAŞ BAYRAKTAR, Journalist - ÇAĞRI SİNCİ, Musician – DENİZ DEMİRDÖĞEN, SOL Party Spokesperson, DİLAN KUTLU, Journalist - DİLEK BULUT, Dr. Academic – DİLARA KURTULUŞ, Member of the Sol Feminist Movement, L. DOĞAN TILIÇ, Prof. Dr. Journalist - DOĞU EROĞLU, Journalist - DOĞUKAN YURTTAŞ, Manager of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers - ELİF AKKAYA, Publisher - ELİF ÇONGUR, Academic, Dr. - ELİF ILGAZ, Journalist - EMEL MEMİŞ, Academic, Assoc. Prof. Dr. - EMİN KORAMAZ, President of the TMMOB Board - ENDER HELVACIOĞLU, Editor-in-Chief of Bilim ve Gelecek Magazine - ERDAL ERZİNCAN, Musician - ERDAL GÜNEY, Composer and Writer - ERDAL KARAKUŞ, KESK Central Executive Committee Member - EREN AKSOYOĞLU, Political Communicator - ERENDİZ ATASÜ, Writer, Prof. Dr. - ERİŞ BİLALOĞLU, Physician - ESRA KAHRAMAN, Writer - EYÜP MUHÇU, Former President of the Chamber of Architects - FAHRETTİN ERGİN ERDOĞAN, Painter, Former Deputy Secretary General of DİSK - FERAY AYTEKİN AYDOĞAN, Former President of Eğitim-Sen - FEVZİYE SAYILAN, Academic, Prof. Dr. - FİLİZ GAZİ, Journalist - FUAT SAKA, Musician - FUAT SEVİMAY, Writer - GALİP YALMAN, Retired Lecturer, Assoc. Prof. Dr. - GAMZE YÜCESAN ÖZDEMİR, Academic, Prof. Dr. - GANİ KAPLAN, Former President of PSAKD – GİZEM ÖZDEM, SOL Party Spokesperson, GÖKHAN BULUT, Academic, Dr. - GÖKSU CENGİZ, Member of the Sol Feminist Movement - GÜLTEKİN NARİNLİ, President of Yapı-Yol Sen – HAKAN TANITTIRAN, President of the Publishers Professional Association - HALUK ÇETİN, Musician - HANDAN KOÇ, Writer - HASAN EROL EROĞLU, Prof. Dr. - HAVVA GÜMÜŞKAYA, Journalist - HAYDAR ERGÜLEN, Poet - HAYRİ ERDOĞAN, Publisher - HAYRİ KOZANOĞLU, Academic, Prof. Dr. - HİLAL ONUR İNCE, Academic, Prof. Dr. - HÜLYA GÜLBAHAR, EŞİK Volunteer - İBRAHİM KARACA, Poet - İBRAHİM VARLI, Journalist - İLBAY KAHRAMAN, Publisher - İLHAN CİHANER, Politician, Lawyer - İLKAY AKKAYA, Musician – İLKNUR BAŞER, SOL Party Spokesperson, İNAN MUTLU, Economist - İSMAİL ARI, Journalist – İSMAİL HAKKI TOMBUL, SOL Party Spokesperson, KAYA GÜVENÇ, Former President of the TMMOB Board - KAYIHAN PALA, Prof. Dr. Member of Parliament - KEMAL AYTAÇ, Member of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations Board - KEMAL IRMAK, President of Eğitim-Sen - KEREM CANKOÇAK, Academic, Prof. Dr. - KORKUT BORATAV, Academic, Prof. Dr. - MAHİR BAĞIŞ, Journalist - MAHİR ULUTAŞ, President of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers, MAHMUT ASLAN, Deputy President of the Pir Sultan Abdal July 2 Foundation - MEHMET GÜMÜŞ, Musician - MEHMET SOĞANCI, Former President of the TMMOB Board - MELİKE DEMİRAĞ, Musician - MERAL UYSAL, Prof. Dr. Academic - MERDAN YANARDAĞ, Journalist - METİN ÖZUĞURLU, Academic, Prof. Dr. - MURAT MERİÇ, Writer - MUSTAFA ALTINTAŞ, Academic, Prof. Dr. - MUSTAFA BİLDİRCİN, Journalist - MUSTAFA TÜRKEŞ, Prof. Dr. Academic - MÜFİT CAN SAÇINTI, Director and Actor - MÜJDE AR, Actress - NECMİ ERDOĞAN, Academic, Prof. Dr. - NEVAL OĞAN BALKIZ, Academic, Dr. - NİSANUR YILDIRIM, Journalist - NİYAZİ KOYUNCU, Musician - NUR BANU SATILMIŞ, Children and Women First Association - NURCAN GÖKDEMİR, Journalist - NUSRET SUNA, President of the Chamber of Civil Engineers – ÖMER FARUK EMİNAĞAOĞLU - Former President of YARSAV - OĞUZ GEMALMAZ, President of TİHAK – OĞUZHAN MÜFTÜOĞLU, Writer - ONUR AKIN, Musician - ONUR ALP YILMAZ, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Academic - OZAN ÇOBAN, Musician - ÖMER TÜRKEŞ, Writer – ÖNDER İŞLEYEN, SOL Party Spokesperson, ÖMER YILMAZ, President of Veli-Der - ÖRSAN ÖYMEN, Prof. Dr. Academic - ÖZER AVANAŞ, President of BES - ÖZGÜRCAN ALKAN, Academic, Research Assistant - ÖZGÜR GÜRBÜZ, Writer - ÖZGÜR TOPÇU, Member of the TMMOB Board - ÖZKAN ATAR, President of Birleşik Metal-İş - ÖZLEM ŞAHİN GÜNGÖR, Prof. Dr. Academic - RAHMİ YILDIRIM, Journalist - RUHİ KOÇ, Former Secretary General of Dev-Genç - RUTKAY AZİZ, Actor - SABAHAT AKKİRAZ, Musician - SADIK USTA, Writer - SELÇUK CANDANSAYAR, Academic, Prof. Dr. - SELÇUK ULUATA, Second President of the Chamber of Civil Engineers - SELİN NAKIPOĞLU, Lawyer, Writer - SELİN PELEK, Academic, Assoc. Prof. Dr. - SEMA PINAR, KESK Central Executive Committee Member - SEMRA KARDEŞOĞLU, Journalist - SERDAR ŞAHİNKAYA, Economist and Writer – SERKAN ÖNGEL, Academic, Prof. Dr. - SERPİL GÜVENÇ, Writer - SERPİL SANCAR, Academic, Prof. Dr. - SEVGİ YILMAZ, KESK Central Executive Committee Member - SEVİNÇ ERBULAK, Actress - SEYHAN ERDOĞDU, Academic, Prof. Dr. - ŞENAL SARIHAN, President of the 29 October Women's Association - ŞÜKRÜ ERBAŞ, Poet - TAHSİN DOĞAN, President of Eğit-Sen - TANER TİMUR, Academic, Prof. Dr. - TİMUR SOYKAN, Journalist - UĞUR KOÇ, Journalist - ÜNAL ÖZMEN, Writer - YAŞAR AYDIN, Journalist - YAŞAR MİRAÇ, Poet - YAŞAR ÜZÜMCÜ, President of the Chamber of Food Engineers - YAŞAR YAVUZ, Academic, Dr. - YUNUS YENER, President of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers - ZAFER ARAPKİRLİ, Journalist - ZAFER KÖSE, Writer - ZEYNEL ABİDİN ERGEN, President of the All Retirees Union - ZEYNEL LÜLE, Journalist - ZEYNEP ALTIOK AKATLI, Writer