US, EU officials condemn government's response to Boğaziçi protests, anti LGBTI+ rhetoric

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed the criticism, saying that no one can interfere with Turkey's internal affairs.

İstanbul

US, EU officials condemn government's response to Boğaziçi protests, anti LGBTI+ rhetoric

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Officials from the US and European Union (EU) have expressed concern over the Boğaziçi University protests, which have been going on for more than a month against the president's appointment of a rector from outside the university's academic community.

A spokesperson for the US Department of State, Ned Price, said at a press briefing yesterday (February 3) that Washington is "concerned" about the demonstrations and government officials' anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric surrounding them.

He condemned Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, who called LGBTI+s "deviants" on Twitter, which later restricted access to the tweet in question, in the first such move against a government official in Turkey.

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The European Parliament's rapporteur for Turkey, Nacho Sánchez Amor, also condemned the government's response to the protests.

"Very worried about deteriorating situation of Boğaziçi protests and the Turkish Government's answer so far: police violence, mass detentions, general terrorism accusations, LGBTI targeting..." he wrote on Twitter.

"Does this reflect the new positive agenda and the will of reforms?" he added, referring to the government's recent statements about economic and judicial reforms.

"Democracy is about protecting and respecting minority or dissenting opinions, not imposing a unilateral, authoritarian concept of the (alleged) general will. Repression of criticism denotes the lack of democratic arguments.

"The prestigious Boğaziçi University deserves better than this!"

Very worried about deteriorating situation of #Bogazici protests and Government's answer so far: police violence, mass detentions, general terrorism accusations, #LGBTI targeting... Does this reflect the new positive agenda and the will of reforms? https://t.co/4VTqhRsrle
— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) February 3, 2021

Euronews Turkish service also quoted European Commission officials saying they were deeply concerned about the developments regarding the Boğaziçi protests, including the detentions of hundreds of students for exercising their right to assembly.

Since the start of the protests, police have detained hundreds of students in and around the Boğaziçi University campus, as well as in other demonstrations in support of the students.

Government officials, including the president, and pro-government media have specifically targeted LGBTI+s during the protests, accusing them of "immorality" and "insulting the religious values."

Foreign Ministry denounces "foreign intervention"

In response to criticism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a written statement today, saying that it's "not within anyone's limit" to try to interfere in internal affairs in Turkey.

"We warn those circles not to use a language that provokes groups that resort to illegal means and encourages illegal acts," says the statement.

The right to assembly and demonstration as well as freedom of speech are constitutionally guaranteed in Turkey, the ministry asserted, repeating the allegations by the police that most of the detained students were connected to outlawed groups such as the DHKP-C and the TKP/ML.

"Turkey shows its determination to protect fundamental rights and freedoms under the constitution with the reforms it carries out and the country is resolute to continue fighting terrorism," it said.

What happened?

Prof. Melih Bulu has been appointed as the President of Boğaziçi University in a Presidential Decree issued on January 1. The appointment of Bulu has sparked harsh criticisms among both the students and academics of the university as well as in the academic community.

Appointed to Boğaziçi, one of the most prestigious universities in Turkey, from outside its community, Bulu was a candidate for nomination to run in the Parliamentary elections in 2015 for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The students and several students' clubs of the university have been campaigning on social media under the hashtag #kayyımrektöristemiyoruz (We don't want a trustee university president).

The call of the students was also supported by the faculty members of the university, who released a joint statement on January 3.

"An academic outside Bogazici University community was appointed as rector (university president), which is a practice introduced for the first time after the 1980s military tutelage," read their statement.

Amid harsh criticisms of students and faculty members, Prof. Bulu has shared a message on his Twitter account, welcoming his appointment to the position, saying, "We are all in the same boat."

The students protested the appointment of Bulu in front of the South Campus of the university in İstanbul on January 4. However, the police intervened into the protest with pepper gas and plastic bullets.

Next day, it was reported that there were detention warrants against 28 people for "violating the law on meetings and demonstrations" and "resisting the officer on duty." Later in the day, 22 of them were detained.

40 people in total were detained over the protests. All of the detained were released on January 7 and 8, 2021.

The protests of students and faculty members at the South Campus of Boğaziçi University have been going on since January 4.

On February 1, police stormed the South Campus and intervened into the students' protests. Earlier in the day, the students gathered in front of the campus for the protest. Police hindered the protest while also preventing the students inside the South Campus from joining their friends outside.

With the 51 students taken into custody inside the campus in the evening, the number of detained increased to 159. In a statement released by the İstanbul Governor's Office in the early morning hours on February 2, it was announced that 98 students were released from detention.

On February 2, Boğaziçi University students gathered in Kadıköy Rıhtım for another protest, which was attacked by the police with plastic bullets and tear gas. 104 people were taken into custody by the police.

About Melih Bulu

Prof. Melih Bulu was appointed as the President of Haliç University on January 17, 2020. In office in this foundation university for less than a year, he has been appointed as the President of Boğaziçi University.

He was a Dean and University President at the İstinye University from 2016 to 2019. Between the years of 2010 and 2016, he was the Head of the Business Management Department of İstanbul Şehir University's Business Management and Management Science Faculty.

He was the General Coordinator of International Competitiveness Research Institute (URAK), an NGO working on economic competitiveness of cities and countries, from the year 2017 to 2019. Since 2011, he has been the Executive Board member of the İstanbul Electric-Electronic Machinery and Informatics Exporters R&D Market.

In 2002, he founded the Sarıyer District Organization of the ruling AKP in İstanbul. In 2015, he was a candidate for nomination to run in the Parliamentary elections from the AKP in the first election district in İstanbul.

He studied Industrial Engineering at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara in 1992. He did his MBA and PhD at Boğaziçi University's Department of Management.

(EMK/VK)