Kurdish Students Will Return to School

MGK's decision, which is in line with the EU-reforms, interests 1,445 students who were expelled from school during the 2001-2002 education period, for signing petitions demanding optional Kurdish classes.

The campaign, which started in November 2001 by students of Istanbul University, quickly spread to other universities in Turkey. About 16 thousand students signed petitions demanding optional Kurdish classes. The universities turned down 7,000 of those petitions.

Accusing students with helping terrorists

According to www.anadil.org, 76 students from ten universities, who signed petitions, were detained for "helping PKK," the Kurdistan Worker's Party.

Inquiries were opened for 2,414 of the students who signed the petition. 95 students were expelled from school and 1,350 students were distanced from school for periods varying between a week and a year.

Student Clearance at Universities

According to the 2002 human rights report of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), these were some of the punishments handed out to the students by the universities:

* 30 students who signed petitions demanding optional Kurdish classes at Istanbul University were expelled from school. 38 students were distanced from school for two education periods.

* 46 students were distanced from school for six months, and 34 students for a month at Marmara University. 23 students were denounced.

* At the Malatya Inonu University, 20 students were expelled and 14 were distanced from school for a year.

* Eight students were distanced from school at Yildiz Technical University.

* At the Van 100th Year University, 24 students were expelled, 21 were distanced from school for six months and 387 students were distanced for a week. Because the students were distanced during the examinations-week, they lost a period.

* At the Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, nine of the students who signed petitions for optional Kurdish classes, were expelled from school. 116 students were distanced from school for six months, 200 students were distanced for a month.

* Cukurova University punished 21 of its students by expelling them, and distanced 66 students.

* 49 students from Afyon Kocatepe University were distanced from school. (NK/EA/NM)