Detained at Boğaziçi University, 7 students referred to courthouse

* Photo: Boğaziçi Resistance Twitter account

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While the protests against the appointment of rectors have been ongoing at Boğaziçi University for months, the students held a protest and demanded that in-class education begin at their school yesterday (October 5). Four students who participated in the protest were detained.

In protest against the detention of the students, other students held a march to the South Campus gate and staged a sit-in protest there.

The police intervened against the students following the sit-in protests, detaining seven other students inside and outside the campuses.

Sharing a brief message on his social media account, academic Feyzi Erçin, whose classes at the university have been closed by the appointed administration, said that three of the 11 detained students were brought to the İstanbul Security Directorate on Vatan Avenue. Erçin wrote that they were waiting for the other detained students to arrive.

While the number of detained students was announced as 10 later on, it was indicated that three students were released following their statements. Held in detention at night, seven students have been reportedly referred to the courthouse for their statements at the prosecutor's office.

'They are detained because of Erdoğan's remarks'

In a statement made on the Boğaziçi Resistance Twitter account, it was indicated that after President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had targeted the students in a speech earlier in the day, the police blockaded the university and took the students into custody. They also shared images from the South Campus gate:

GÜNCELLEME: 11 arkadaşımız gözaltında. https://t.co/SD7hdY4I4g

— Boğaziçi Direnişi (@budirenisi) October 5, 2021

Boğaziçi Resistance tweeted that the remarks of Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli were "the main reason for the detentions", calling on Erdoğan to "keep his hands off universities."

What did Erdoğan say?

President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the 2021-2022 Higher Education Academic Year Opening Ceremony yesterday and targeted the students who have been protesting the appointed rector as "terrorists." Erdoğan briefly said:

"We are sadly following that some people are not troubled with appreciating what is done about the higher education, as in the case of every other issue. I especially cannot accept a Turkey where students get on top of the rector's car and stamp there. Such students are not necessary for us.

"Your rector is inside the vehicle, you intercept him and then get on top of the vehicle and start stamping. There cannot be such a student. They must be terrorists who infiltrated universities at the most."

275th day of resistance

The students, alumni, personnel and academics of Boğaziçi University have been protesting against the appointed rectors since January 4, 2021, shouting the slogan, "We don't want a trustee-rector."

In the 40th week and on the 275th day of the Boğaziçi resistance yesterday, the academics of Boğaziçi University once again turned their backs on the rector's office at the South Campus in protest and kept their 184th vigil since the resistance began. (KÖ/SD)