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Dr. Yiğit Sayın, the Dean of Students of Koç University in İstanbul, has apologized for his remarks targeting a protesting student after the video of the incident caused an outrage on social media.
On March 8, a video featuring a debate between the students of Koç University and Dean of Students Sayın was shared on social media.
While a student was criticizing the gender-based segregation in the dining hall, Sayın walked up to the student, saying, "What the hell are you talking about?". Other students intervened and Sayın stepped back, but students said that they were expecting an apology from the Dean.
As reported by Habertürk, after the video was shared, Sayın has apologized to the academics and students by an intra-university email.
"I would like to indicate that neither my verbal conduct nor my physical behavior suits or befits my personal or professional identity," Dean of Students Yiğit Sayın has briefly written in his email, saying that "his unintentional remarks and acts as a result of the physical and emotional effects of the environment that they found themselves in crossed the line".
Accordingly, the Dean has extended his "heartfelt apologies to all aggrieved students''. He has said that he met the students at the Koç Square from the afternoon till evening hours to listen to the demands and requests of the university's students, which is his major responsibility".
CLICK - Students protest high prices, pressure, discrimination and surveillance
Statement by Koç University
On the other side, amid debates on the alleged separation of the places where women and men eat at the university, Koç University has pinned the message that it shared on Twitter on June 26, 2021.
In the related message, it was said that "the alleged allocation of Koç University's dining halls to female and male students does not reflect the truth." The university stated that "the dining halls, cafeterias and all other areas of recreation are shared spaces of all students". (RT/SD)
