METU Media Community Closed, 3 Panel Discussions Banned

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Three organizations planned to be held at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in the capital city of Ankara have been banned by the METU Presidency and Governorship of Ankara.

After the events were banned, the Presidency of the university also sent an email to its students on December 20 and stated,

"Throughout the current electoral process in our country, the panel discussions and/or meetings to be held by political parties, communities, institutions or organizations outside our university or by the groups that are not official communities in our university will not be allowed."

Banned events

Accordingly, the following events to be held at METU have been banned:

* The discussion panel entitled "Neoliberalizm Çıkmazı: Endüstri 4.0, Sarı Yelekliler" (Neoliberalism Dead-End: Industry 4.0, Yellow Vests) announced to be held by METU Socialist Opinion Club on December 19.

* The discussion panel entitled "İçeri ve Dışarı Ne Kadar Farklı" (Inside and Outside: How Different are They) announced to be held by Federation of Socialist Youth Associations on December 19. The theme of the panel was "Return to Life" operations.

* The panel entitled "Ekonomik Kriz" (Economic Crisis) announced to be held by the Labor Youth on December 19. Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Selin Sayek Böke was also among the speakers of the panel.

METU Media Community closed

The Presidency of METU has also closed the Media Community, which reported the recent bans imposed on student events as well as other protest demonstrations held in the university, including the ones staged during the previous graduation ceremonies.

METU student representative Özgür Gür and a representative from the closed community have spoken to bianet about the incident.

Özgür Gür has stated that "in universities, which are supposed to be the home for freedoms of every stripe, lecture halls are locked up and the police conduct raids." Gür has also added that after the Media Community reported the recent bans and police raids, students were informed about the closure of the community via an email sent by the METU Presidency.

Statement by Media Community

Releasing a statement after the closure, the Media Community has underlined that "there is an attempt to intimidate the students":

"We are aware that closing the Media Community, which has been producing news with an impartial journalism understanding, and announcing it to all student organizations aim to intimidate all other constituents of the METU.

"We are making a call to all METU communities and all other METU constituents to collaborate against this pressure and silencing attempts and to lay claim to METU's spirit of solidarity."

Statement of support by all METU communities

All student organizations and communities at METU have released a joint statement in solidarity with the closed Media Community and in protest against the bans imposed on student events.

In the statement, student organizations have made a call to METU Presidency, "which aims to prevent current, political and cultural discussions of students, to distance itself from its arbitrary administration understanding." (SO/HK/SD)