Council denies censorship
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 13, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The chief editor of "Science and Technology" magazine breached her authority by changing the original cover subject from climate change to the theory of evolution, according to an official statement from the magazine’s body.
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, or TÜBİTAK, vice president, Dr. Ömer Cebeci, a member of the magazine’s editorial board, pulled the Darwin story from the journal and put a climate change article on the cover instead. The March issue was released a week late as a result, with 16 pages missing. Cebeci reportedly removed Dr. Çiğdem Atakuman from her post as chief editor for putting Darwin on the magazine’s cover.
Atakuman was removed by verbal order, but official procedures were suspended after the "Darwin scandal" was covered in the media.
"Dr. Çiğdem Atakuman had notice from the vice president, Dr. Ömer Cebeci, that the story on climate change was being prepared. The March issue was not reserved for Darwin and the theory of evolution, but a two-page list of TÜBİTAK’s publications on Darwin was created. But Dr. Atakuman altered the content of the magazine right before the printing process and added 16 pages. The altered magazine was presented to Dr. Cebeci on March 2. Naturally, printing a story on Darwin penned by a junior expert without scientific evaluation was questioned. Dr. Atakuman understood her mistake, and ordered the climate change story back in," according to the TÜBİTAK statement.
"That Darwin was censored by TÜBİTAK or by Dr. Cebeci is out of question. TÜBİTAK has published the most comprehensive works on evolution in Turkey," the statement read.
A member of the magazine’s editorial board, Esfer Kerimoğlu, resigned following the scandal, leaving only Ahmet Onat and Cebeci on the board. But the resignation was not the first of its kind, reports said. A demand of retirement for Chief Editor Raşit Gürdilek came after he was asked to transfer to an advisory position at the magazine, wrote daily Radikal yesterday.
Atakuman was removed by verbal order, but official procedures were suspended after the "Darwin scandal" was covered in the media.
"Dr. Çiğdem Atakuman had notice from the vice president, Dr. Ömer Cebeci, that the story on climate change was being prepared. The March issue was not reserved for Darwin and the theory of evolution, but a two-page list of TÜBİTAK’s publications on Darwin was created. But Dr. Atakuman altered the content of the magazine right before the printing process and added 16 pages. The altered magazine was presented to Dr. Cebeci on March 2. Naturally, printing a story on Darwin penned by a junior expert without scientific evaluation was questioned. Dr. Atakuman understood her mistake, and ordered the climate change story back in," according to the TÜBİTAK statement.
"That Darwin was censored by TÜBİTAK or by Dr. Cebeci is out of question. TÜBİTAK has published the most comprehensive works on evolution in Turkey," the statement read.
A member of the magazine’s editorial board, Esfer Kerimoğlu, resigned following the scandal, leaving only Ahmet Onat and Cebeci on the board. But the resignation was not the first of its kind, reports said. A demand of retirement for Chief Editor Raşit Gürdilek came after he was asked to transfer to an advisory position at the magazine, wrote daily Radikal yesterday.