İstanbul University Student Reports Attacks, Arrests

Following the attacks against students distributing leaflets against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at İstanbul University yesterday, an escalation occurred also today.

In the early hours a ruckus occurred today at the Faculty of Literature with a large number of police officers stepping in. It has been announced that approximately 15 students have been arrested among which there were also members of the group which carried out the attack yesterday.

“Attack at leaflet distributors”

According to the statement of a student to bianet who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the escalation occurred on December 2, Wednesday.

“There is a group which we identify as pro-ISIS to which also students but mainly others coming from outside belong. They had caused a tension on Thursday and said, “We will come back and take revenge.

“On December 3, Thursday leftist and democrat students have distributed contra-ISIS leaflets saying ‘We will not allow jihadist gangs’. Following the statement a group with sticks entering through the Science Faculty door attacked the students saying ‘you can’t call jihadists a gang’. The students managed to push back the group. Police arrested some of the attackers.

“We entered the university also all together today. Police had surrounded the group which we called pro-ISIS. When we came near the spot where the police stood, an escalation occurred. Police went through the corridors, entered the classrooms and made arrests, and a couple of times this was repeated. Later also some members of that group got arrested. But we don’t know how many nor if there are still ones at the university.”

The student stated that police have left the university around 11.40 a.m. but there are still many officers continuing to wait at the exit doors of the university. (BK/DG)

Click here to read the article in Turkish.