Turkish government accused of censoring science mag
Now you see him: How a magazine cover was unintelligently redesigned to placate Turkey's creationists
The editor of a popular Turkish science magazine has been sacked, and her cover-story about Charles Darwin spiked at the last minute, at the order of the vice-president of the country’s “science management” organisation, TÃœBITAK.
Çigdem Atakuman confirmed that she had been removed from her post as a result of her article celebrating Darwin’s 200th birthday, but would not comment further as she is still employed by TÃœBITAK.
The Turkish Association of University Councils has called for the TÜBITAK vice-president, Ömer Cebeci, to resign over the affair. Interestingly, Cebeci is an engineer, giving more anecdotal confirmation in support of the Salem Hypothesis, which posits that when a creationist claims to have a scientific qualification, it nearly always turns out to be a degree in engineering.
(Hat tip The New Humanist)
And this is a country that wants to joint the EU. We can’t allow it – not with those kinds of people ruling!
I wonder if this will effect Turkey’s EU Accession Negotiations…?
Greg
I’m sure the EU will warmly welcome them, just like Tony Blair warmly welcomed Sir Peter Vardy with all the baggage he brings to education. Amounts to the same thing on a lager scale.
I have a correlation to the Salem Hypothesis (which appears to be headed towards being a theory, if only a few more people would test it) which is this:
Creationists are either (a) uneducated or (b) blithering fucking idiots.
Very, very few have a practical education in biological sciences.
I’ll add a (c) to Marc’s response- ‘ Totally ignorant of nature and the universe’
[…] by cabalamat on 2009-Mar-12 The editor of a Turkish science magazine was sacked for putting Darwin on the front cover: The editor of a popular Turkish science magazine has been sacked, and her cover-story about […]
“Very, very few have a practical education in biological sciences”
Just like the antivacs and HIV/AIDS denialists…
The fact that this is causing debate (open and free debate) in Turkey will hopefully temper the xenophobic cry against Turkey’s EU membership.
[…] Turkish government accused of censoring science mag […]
I see on this morning`s news that the major NATO powers all want the Danish PM as the next Sec. Gen. of the organisation, but there have been objections from…..Turkey!! Oh, yes – it`s because of those Danish Cartoons again!!! Watch out for lots more of theses “cultural clashes” if they persist in cosying up to such backward, primitive, extremist bigots.