OPEN LETTER
Magna Charta Observatory: Restore academic freedom, autonomy at Boğaziçi University
* Photo: Boğaziçi University academics
Click to read the article in Turkish
The Magna Charta Observatory of fundamental values and rights, which has international responsibility for overseeing the Magna Charta Universitatum, has penned an open letter and called for the "restoration of academic freedom and autonomy at Boğaziçi University".
Signed by Dr. Patrick Deane, the President of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory, the open letter has been addressed to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Chair Prof. Erol Özvar and appointed rector of Boğaziçi University Prof. Naci İnci.
The faculty members, students and alumni of Boğaziçi University have been protesting since Prof. Melih Bulu was appointed the rector on January 2, 2021 in a process that continued with the dismissal of Bulu in mid-July 2021 and the appointment of Prof. Naci İnci. Most recently, the deans of three faculties have been removed from office by the decision of the YÖK.
Recalling that "Boğaziçi University and 34 other universities in Turkey have signed the Magna Charta Universitatum," the Observatory has called upon "the President of Turkey to enable Boğaziçi University and all universities in Turkey to reach their full potential for the benefit of Turkey and the world by respecting the letter and spirit of UN agreements and enabling universities to operate in accordance with the Magna Charta."
Sharing background information about the Magna Charta Universitatum as "an international declaration and affirmation of fundamental principles upon which the conduct and mission of universities should be based", the Observatory has briefly stated the following:
'We continue to be concerned'
"In the context of this the Magna Charta Observatory continues to be concerned about the violation of the autonomous operation of universities in Turkey. We wrote previously concerning the appointment of a new rector of Boğaziçi University by the country's President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On 1 January 2021 an emergency decree from 2016 (KHK 676) was used by the President to appoint Professor Melih Bulu, who is not a member of the Boğaziçi University faculty, as rector of Boğaziçi University.
"This violated the established rules and practices of university governance and infringed the autonomy of the university.
"Most recently we understand that on 18 January 2022 three academics, Professor Özlem Berk Albachten, Professor Metin Ercan and Prof. Yasemin Bayyurt were removed from their roles as Deans, to which they were properly elected, by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
"This also violates the established rules and practices of university governance and infringes the autonomy of the university.
"The reaction to and harsh treatment of staff and students of Boğaziçi University who have voiced opposition to these and other interventions in the University is also of concern as this is not conducive to free academic enquiry and expression.
"Boğaziçi University and 34 other universities in Turkey have signed the Magna Charta Universitatum.
"The Magna Charta Observatory therefore calls upon the President of Turkey to enable Boğaziçi University and all universities in Turkey to reach their full potential for the benefit of Turkey and the world by respecting the letter and spirit of UN agreements and enabling universities to operate in accordance with the Magna Charta."
What happened?Prof. Melih Bulu was appointed as the rector of Boğaziçi University by a Presidential Decision published in the Official Gazette on January 2, 2021. The appointment of Bulu sparked harsh criticisms among both the students and academics of the university as well as in the academic community. Appointed to Boğaziçi, one of the most prestigious universities in Turkey, from outside its community, Bulu was a candidate for nomination to run in the Parliamentary elections in 2015 for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The students and several students' clubs of the university campaigned on social media under the hashtag #kayyımrektöristemiyoruz (We don't want a trustee-rector). The call of the students was also supported by the faculty members of the university, who released a joint statement on January 3. "An academic outside Bogazici University community was appointed as a rector, which is a practice introduced for the first time after the 1980s military tutelage," read the statement of the faculty members. Amid harsh criticisms of students and faculty members, Prof. Bulu shared a message on his Twitter account, welcoming his appointment to the position, saying, "We are all in the same boat." The students protested the appointment of Bulu in front of the South Campus of the university in İstanbul on January 4. However, the police intervened into the protest with pepper gas and plastic bullets. Next day, it was reported that there were detention warrants against 28 people for "violating the law on meetings and demonstrations" and "resisting the officer on duty." Later in the day, 22 of them were detained. 40 people in total were detained over the protests. All of the detained were released on January 7 and 8, 2021. The protests of students and faculty members at the South Campus of Boğaziçi University have been going on since January 4. Taken into custody over a picture of the Kaaba, a sacred site in Islam, with a Shahmaran figure and four LGBTI+ flags on its corners, two students were arrested and two were placed under house arrest over this picture displayed at an exhibition as part of the protests at the South Campus. On February 1, police stormed the South Campus and intervened into the students' protests. Earlier in the day, the students gathered in front of the campus for the protest. Police hindered the protest while also preventing the students inside the South Campus from joining their friends outside. With the 51 students taken into custody inside the campus in the evening, the number of detained increased to 159. In a statement released by the İstanbul Governor's Office in the early morning hours on February 2, it was announced that 98 students were released from detention. On February 2, Boğaziçi University students gathered in Kadıköy Rıhtım for another protest, which was attacked by the police with plastic bullets and tear gas. 134 people were taken into custody by the police. Two of the protesters were arrested by the court afterwards. On February 6, four more people were arrested and two others were placed under house arrest over their participation in Boğaziçi protests in Kadıköy. On the same day, Erdoğan issued a Presidential decree to open two new faculties at the university. In response to this, the Boğaziçi Solidarity platform addressed an open letter to the "12th President of Turkey." A day later, student Beyza Buldağ was taken into custody for allegedly administering the "Boğaziçi Solidarity" Twitter account and arrested for "provoking the public to hatred, enmity and hostility" and "provoking to commit crimes" over both the letter and other Twitter posts. As of February 7, the Boğaziçi Solidarity platform announced that at least 560 students were detained, 25 were sentenced to house arrest and 10 were arrested. Students have been arrested on charges of "degrading or provoking the public to hatred and hostility" and "resisting to prevent fulfilment of duty" as per the Articles 216 and 265 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). On February 10, one more student was arrested. With the release of Beyza Buldağ and Muhammed Önal on February 12, there remained nine students arrested over Boğaziçi University protests against the appointed rector. On February 22, two more students were placed under house arrest on the grounds that they distributed the letter of an arrested student to citizens. As the protests continued, President Erdoğan on July 15 sacked Melih Bulu. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) appointed Vice-Rector Naci İnci as the acting rector one day later. On August 20, 2021, President Erdoğan appointed İnci as the new rector. As of January 5, 2021, two students were arrested for protesting the appointment of Naci İnci. They were released on probation at their first hearing on January 7. On January 19, 2022, the academics of Boğaziçi University announced that in line with the decision taken at the meeting of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) on January 18, Prof. Özlem Berk Albachten, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Metin Ercan, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Prof. Yasemin Bayyurt, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, have been removed from office by the rectorate. Shortly afterwards, appointed rector Prof. Naci İnci has appointed himself as the acting dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in place of elected dean Özlem Berk Albachten, who has been removed from office. |
(RT/SD)