Students protest high prices, pressure, discrimination and surveillance

* Photo: Koç University / Odeon Movement

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Koç University hit the headlines yesterday (March 8) after a video featuring the verbal attack of the dean of students against a protesting student was shared on social media and news websites. Protesting since February 28, students have expressed their demands on social media.

While they were discussing students' demands, Dean of Students Dr. Yiğit Sayın walked up to a student, saying, "What the hell are you talking about?" Secretary General Sibel Kesler, in response to students' demands, also said, "I thought you were here for academic demands."

After these behaviors and remarks caused an outrage on social media, the "Odeon Movement" has served as a spokesperson for students' demands and expressed their unease, seeing that "the media focuses only on this incident and ignores students' demands and movement."

The statement of the movement has noted that Dean of Students Yiğit Sayın apologized to students in both oral and written form.

Underlining their awareness that "the apology has not legitimized the act" of the dean and expressing solidarity with the fellow students who were subjected to the attack, the movement has announced their main target as follows: "The focal point of our struggle is not individuals like Yiğit Sayın, but the school administration itself and the rectorate."

Students have requested that the rectorate of Koç University speak to students about their demands as soon as possible.

'The media distorts our demands'

The "Odeon Movement" has said that after what happened at Koç University, the media has distorted their demands:

"There is a gender-based segregation not in dining halls, but in the use of shared spaces in dorms. Our demand for a free campus is about this. Our demand for the dining hall is about prices and quality."

Demands

Noting that the students of Koç University have been trying to make their demands heard since February 28, the movement expressed some demands in its statement on February 24, including the following:

* Offer food services for affordable prices: Due to increasing costs of living, the food options at the campus are no longer student-friendly. Students now cannot eat even at the dining hall. The company offering dining hall services does not introduce the necessary price reduction.

* Remove the restrictions on student clubs' activities: At the pretext of corona measures not even implemented across Turkey, the events of student clubs and societies have been restricted for months.

* Increase the work and study wages

* The full scholarship students must be provided with their well-deserved merit-based scholarships without conditions and the merit-based scholarships must be added to the regulations again.

* Ensure free campus life: Koç University, a modern and secular educational institution, does not allow its students to lead a free campus life as a result of gender-based segregation in dorms and shared spaces. While the struggle against corona is getting normalized across the country, the university administration is misusing corona measures by a constant inspection and surveillance of students at its own dormitories.

* Remove the turnstiles and cameras at dormitories. Ensure students' freedom at the campus. The rules regarding the shared spaces must be amended within the frame of students' benefits.

Interlocutor is the rectorate

Concluding the statement, the "Odeon Movement" has announced that "in order to speak with the rectorate, which is the true interlocutor of the demands, and with the board overseers", over 400 students will submit their petitions to the rectorate and continue protesting. (AEK/SD)