Bulu says he ‘doesn’t think of resigning’, thanks Soylu

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Appointed as the new rector of Boğaziçi University by President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in early January, Prof. Melih Bulu has announced that he is not thinking of resigning.

Both the students and faculty members of the university have been protesting his appointment from outside the community of Boğaziçi without any electoral process. They also demand his resignation.

According to an article penned by Habertürk columnist Nagehan Alçı, also a graduate of Boğaziçi University, Bulu has spoken to her about his appointment, the ensuing protests and the recent developments.

As reported by Alçı,. Bulu has also commented on what happened at the South Campus of Boğaziçi University on February 1, when 159 students were detained. "Ms. Alçı, the LGBT tried to blockade the rector's office after their membership of the candidate club were terminated after the recent developments," Melih Bulu has reportedly told Nagehan Alçı.

CLICK - Boğaziçi University's LGBTI+ Studies Club closed

'I am a person who defends LGBT rights'

According to Alçı, Bulu has said the following:

"There is not an attitude targeting the LGBT identity. Boğaziçi, as an institution, has respect for every identity.

I do not have any reactions against the LGBT individuals. I am also a person who defends LGBT individuals' rights and freedoms.

"However, as you also know, in order to be a university club, one first needs to get the candidate club status. There is a two-year period of monitoring. LGBT was a candidate club, it had not yet been a club.

Allegation of 'blockade'

"There was a time out, the administration before us extended it. The time was up around six month ago. After the materials of the exhibition that caused this outrage were found in the LGBT club's room and, besides, a material about the PKK was found in the same room, their candidate club status was terminated. Students blockaded the rector's office in response."

On the night of police intervention against the students at South Campus, Boğaziçi University Alumni Association (BÜMED) Chair Önder Şahin spoke to BBC Türkçe. According to Şahin, Bulu said that "he acted imprudently during the meeting [with students] on January 4, he would not take a similar risk again, touching him would mean touching the state and he would not leave the building for this reason."

Speaking to Alçı about these remarks as well. "Whatever I said on the first day, I still say it today. Look, yesterday, something unprecedented happened. They held the doors of the rector's office. They tried to prevent me from leaving the building," Bulu has reportedly told Alçı.

'Police intervention became inevitable'

When Alçı has asked Melih Bulu "why he did not try to meet the students", he has briefly answered as follows:

"I tried; I said, 'At least, choose a team among yourselves and let's come here, sit and talk', but they did not accept it. They wanted me to go to them.

"But it was very crowded. The security and my police guard found it risky for reasons of security, they said they could not protect me. The blockade did not end in the end. It did not end though we made several calls. As I could not go home, the intervention of the police became inevitable."

'It cannot happen without permission'

Regarding the arrest of two students after they were targeted over a picture on display at the campus, Bulu has reportedly said:

"Performances can naturally be held, exhibitions can also be held; however, it cannot happen without permission. No permission was taken for this exhibition. Moreover, security guards saw that picture a night before and warned the students, but they insisted."

Bulu has also told Alçı that he "never thinks of resigning" and added: "At first, I foresaw that this crisis would end in 6 months and this is what will happen. The tension will subside, this crisis can end in 6 months."

'It has long been a dream of mine'

Prof. Melih Bulu also attended the publisicity meeting of the Aviation, Space and Technology Festival (Teknofest) today. Addressing the reporters, he has reiterated that he will not resign from office. "Being a rector at Boğaziçi University has long been a dream of mine," Bulu has told reporters.

Talking about his aim "to make Boğaziçi University one of the top 100 universities in the world," he has said that he believes he can do this in four years. "For this reason I never think of resigning," he has said.

He thanks Minister Soylu

Speaking about the protests against his rectorate, Bulu has said that he "respects the protests a lot" and added: "Because our students and academics definitely have the freedom to express their own opinions. I have never taken up the slightest stance against it and I do not think of doing so, either. A mentality of 1 to 0, a mentality of 'either what I say or none of it' is not a right mentality, democracy does not allow it anyway.

"For this reason, I would like to thank our Minister of Interior [Süleyman Soylu] because if there is a protest around the mentality of 1 to 0, the necessary barriers must be set up there, of course."

(DŞ/SD)