AKP leader Erdogan, who aims to turn all universities into reactionary, fascist centers for education, has appointed AKP member Melih Bulu as rector of Istanbul’s Bosphorus University. Of course, this appointment was not made following the norms of academic qualification, but following the ideology of the fascist AKP, to give a new form to the university and to submit it completely to the will of the authorities. That is why Erdogan considered Melih Bulu, one of the leaders in the structure of the ruling AKP, to be the most suitable for the position, as he is a person who will relentlessly and dutifully carry out the orders given to him.

Yesterday, students at the Bosphorus University in Istanbul hold a massive protest against the appointment of Melih Bulu by the fascist government of the AKP as rector of the university. Students who gathered in front of the main building of the university’s southern campus were prevented by police and private security guards from leaving the campus.

Despite all attempts to obstruct, the students opened the door to the campus portal and thus managed to unite with the people from other parts of Istanbul who came to support the protest, after which a protest declaration was read on behalf of the students.

Students from the Bosphorus University open a banner reading: “We do not want a trustee for rector!”, they were supported by their colleagues from other universities. The protest statement, read on behalf of Bosphorus University students, emphasized that they did not accept the appointment.

Here is an excerpt from the declaration:

“We are again faced with the appointment “from above” of a “new” rector of our university, made at midnight, as happened in 2016. With the understanding of democracy, which has retained its place in our university for years, until 2016 instead of our rectors appointed as a result of the elections after 2016 began to be appointed trustees in an anti-democratic way. Also, for the first time since the military regime in the 1980s, a rector outside the university was appointed at the Bosphorus University. This position is a continuation of the anti-democratic practices that have been going on since 2016, which is the abolishing of the elections for the rector.”

The following demands are stated in the declaration:

We do not accept the interference in the autonomy of the decision-making mechanism of our university, in its democratic principles, in its freedom of expression, and in its will to hold elections. We do not want a trustee as a rector and we do not give up our position.

Our demands are the following:

– We want the resignations of all trustees appointed as rectors, we want all rectors to be elected through elections conducted following democratic principles. We are calling on the academic community to urgently hold new elections for rectors of higher education institutions across the country.

-For this democratic position and the need to find a place in all universities, we call on our colleagues from other universities and our graduate colleagues to support us.”

During the protest slogans such as those listed below were chanted,

“The trustees will leave, we will stay!”, “Melih, Resign!”, “Melih Bulu is not our rector!”, ” Plagiarist Melih, get out of here!” “We don’t want a sexist rector!”

After reading the protest declaration, the students entered the university building, where they held a forum. After the forum, according to the information they received that the trustee rector had arrived at the university and was on the northern campus, the students marched to the place.

At the gate of the northern campus, students faced a police cordon and were prevented from entering. Students from the Bosphorus University and those who came to support them waited with determination in front of the police cordon. As the crowd waited, two students who tried to break through the cordon were detained by police, but after those gathered stood up for them and expressed dissatisfaction with their detention, the police were forced to release them.
The wait in front of the police-blocked portal of the northern campus continued with chanting slogans, singing socialist songs, and dancing. Students who tried to break through the blockade were attacked by police three times. Later, students tried to prevent a police water cannon from entering the university. They were attacked with water jets and rubber cartridges. Police and private security guards, who “handcuffed” the university’s portal, attacked students with tear gas grenades, shields, and batons.

Students from the Bosphorus University entered the school after showing their student cards, while people who came to support them from other parts of Istanbul remained to wait in front of the portal. The people waiting here, who did not disperse despite the intensive attacks of the police were attacked once again with water cannons.

At dawn today, police stormed several houses in Istanbul, according to information known at the time, 17 students from the Bosphorus University were detained in connection with yesterday’s protests. The police directorate in the Turkish metropolis announced that there is an arrest warrant for a total of 28 people, who are accused of violating the law on demonstrations, as well as “resisting police officers while they were performing of their duties.” The students detained were tortured and threatened with death and rape. They will be held for the next 24 hours at the Istanbul Police Directorate.

Students from the Bosphorus University continued their protests today, despite the repressions of the fascist oligarchy and the attacks of the police. They have said, that they will continue their protests tomorrow.

Source:

Gerçek news agency (Gerçek Haber Ajansı). https://gercekhaberajansi.org/