Istanbul: Turkish authorities briefly detained 27 scholars Friday, accusing them of spreading "terrorism propaganda" and of insulting the state after they signed a petition denouncing the military's campaign against Kurdish militants in south-eastern Turkey. Most of the scholars were from Kocaeli University in north-western Turkey, and were detained in early-morning raids on their homes, the semiofficial news agency Anadolu reported. By Friday evening, all had been released, according to Turkish news media reports. All 27 scholars were among more than 1000 academics from 90 Turkish universities who signed a public statement, "We Won't Be a Party to This Crime", that urged...
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