Türkiye condemns Harvard's move over anti-Israel bias claims
ANKARA
Turkish authorities have denounced the departure of a Turkish historian and his associate director from leadership positions at Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies following accusations of anti-Israel bias.
“Labeling every voice that speaks out about the crimes against humanity committed by the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu regime in Gaza as ‘hate’ is part of a strategy to obscure the truth,” Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin wrote in an X post on March 29.
Harvard’s interim dean of social science, David Cutler, informed center affiliates in an email that Cemal Kafadar, a professor of Turkish studies and the center’s director, would step down at the end of the academic year.
Associate director Rosie Bsheer, a professor of history, is also leaving her administrative role. Both are expected to remain in their faculty positions.
The university has been under increasing scrutiny from the federal government over allegations of antisemitism on campus. Faculty members who spoke to The New York Times anonymously said they believed Kafadar and Bsheer were forced to step down.
Tekin described the leadership changes as “an attack on freedom of thought, conscience and the universal values of universities.”
“This decision is the latest in an effort to surrender the independence of universities to the Zionist power mechanism,” he added.
Erol Özvar, head of Türkiye's Council of Higher Education, and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik also condemned the move.
Harvard’s shake-up comes amid broader turmoil at elite U.S. universities, which have faced pressure from the Trump administration over their handling of antisemitism accusations.
Columbia University recently agreed to review its Middle Eastern, South African and African Studies departments after Trump’s administration withdrew $400 million in federal funding.
On March 28, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, announced her resignation. She will be replaced by Claire Shipman, co-chair of the university’s board of trustees.
Meanwhile, a U.S. federal judge has blocked the deportation of a Turkish doctoral student detained by immigration officials in Massachusetts after expressing support for Palestinians.
Rumeysa Öztürk, 30, was taken into custody near her home on March 25 evening by masked federal agents in an incident that was caught on video and widely shared online.
In the footage, Öztürk can be heard yelling as she is handcuffed, while one agent tells her: "We're the police." A bystander is heard questioning the six agents, asking, "Why are you hiding your faces?" before they lead Öztürk away.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order on March 28 preventing her removal from the country while the case is under review.
"To allow the court's resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Öztürk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court," the order stated.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused Öztürk of "engaging in activities in support of Hamas" but has not publicly provided evidence to support the claim. Her lawyers have denounced the detention as unlawful, welcoming the court's ruling.
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry has also weighed in on the case, saying that diplomatic efforts for Öztürk's release are ongoing.
"Our embassy in Washington and the relevant consulates general are providing all kinds of consular services and legal support," spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said in a post on X.
