Students of the Istanbul University were attacked by a group called "the Muslim Youth" when they protested the closure by prescription of the trial related to the Sivas Massacre on 14 March.

The students had posted banners in front of the School of Law on the Beyazıt Campus (Istanbul) of the Istanbul University. The banners featured the slogan "You will be taken to account for Sivas". The "Muslim Youth" group attacked the students with clubs and wrote "Either a Muslim Turkey or nothing" over the banners.

The group entered the campus in the morning and created trouble at the "newspaper desk" installed by socialist students. A fight emerged and six students were injured and taken to hospital as a result.

The "Muslim Youth" group posted their own banners on the walls reading "Either a Muslim Turkey or nothing" and "informants of the system cannot be taken to account". They tore down banners of the students that were featuring the slogans "The youth will take the murderers and those acquitted to account" and "The ones who started the fire in Sivas are the founders of the AKP".

After the incident, riot force police teams entered the campus. They did not intervene against the "Muslim Youth" group but took four students into custody.

It was furthermore reported that private security staff tore down posters announcing a commemoration ceremony for the Sivas Massacre to be held on 16 March which was also going to be carried out in protest of applying the statute of limitation.

One of the students who was wounded in the clashes was reportedly taken to the police and subsequently brought to hospital with an ambulance. (Sources: Radikal newspaper, T24)

Protest in Taksim

On 13 March, more than a thousand people gathered on Takism Square in Istanbul to protest the closure of procedures of the Sivas trial. Chanting the slogan "The light of Sivas will not go out" the protestors marched along Istiklal Avenue to the Galasaray Square. The demonstrators carried a banner reading "The AKP protects the murderers, we will not let you forget Sivas, we will not forgive, we will bring them to account".

Özge Ozan, spokesperson of the Community Centres organization, read out a joint press release on behalf of several political parties. Ozan emphasized that they were going to follow up those who were responsible for the Sivas massacre.

The demonstration was attended by representatives of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Turkey Communist Party (TKP), the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), Labour Party (EMEP), Community Centres, Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK). (EKN/NV)