I can’t hold my silence anymore, I’ve spoken about this in my stories on my studygram when the protests begun but things got much worse… Yesterday, my friend who studies electrical engineering at Boğaziçi, one of the top universities in Turkey (to put it simply to enter most of its majors you’ve to rank in the top 5 thousand in the national university exam which millions of people take), was arrested during these protests.
To explain the situation I will be quoting directly an article from New York Times.
“ISTANBUL — For several weeks — rain, shine, or even snow — a rebellion has been underway in one of the most hallowed establishments of Turkish academia: the campus of Bogazici University in Istanbul. Every day, faculty members stand on the main lawn in a socially distanced, silent protest, their backs turned on the office of the rector, whose appointment by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan they oppose. Traditionally, the university academics elect the rector, who controls much of the life in the university, from their own ranks. By naming an outside appointee to his liking, Mr. Erdogan has set off a battle for control of one of Turkey’s institutional jewels.
Mr. Erdogan appointed Mr. Bulut on Jan. 1. Within days, hundreds of students turned out to protest, some clashing with the police, who closed off the university’s main entrance to the campus, and more tussling with plainclothes officers inside the campus. At least 30 students were detained in police raids on their homes after the first protests and in supporting demonstrations in other cities. Several students have filed complaints about being subjected to strip searches. In response, the students turned to other forms of protest, creating art exhibitions, making cartoons, and composing and playing songs around the campus.
Tensions rose sharply after members of the government denounced artwork by L.G.B.T.Q. protesters and the police detained four students and confiscated pride flags. The protesters called for trade unions and political parties to join mass protests on Monday and the police turned out in force, sealing off the main entrance to the campus and detaining dozens of students as they invaded the campus and ordered them home.”
This has been going on for more than a month but the international media has chosen to ignore this reach for power and the injustice these top students are facing… That’s why I’m asking for your help to spread the word. Use the hashtags #asagibakmayacagiz #bogaziciablukada. If you can do follow @bogazicidirenisi on Instagram. Let our voices be heard, don’t ignore Turkish students.
It’s not about any kind of ideology it’s about our democratic rights! Please if you see people in news comments accusing boğaziçi students with being a terr@rist do not believe them! There are so many people from various ideologies there, again it’s not about any kind of ideology, it’s about our rights!
