* Photos: Boğaziçi Resistance
Click to read the article in Turkish
The Private Security Unit (ÖGB) has removed the protesting students' tent from the South Campus of Boğaziçi University.
Over the past nine months, the students of Boğaziçi University have been holding a vigil in the tent as part of their protests against first the appointment of Melih Bulu as the rector of the university by a Presidential decision, then the appointment of Naci İnci for the same position.
The security staff intervened against the tent in front of the Rectorate today (October 22), reportedly upon the instruction of the Rectorate.
Güney Kampüs’e kayyumun emriyle giren polis, her gün direnişimizi sürdürdüğümüz alandan bizleri uzaklaştırmak istiyor! #MücadeleUmuttur pic.twitter.com/kxE2JqGYZl
— Boğaziçi Öğrenci Meclisi #2 (@bounmeclis) October 22, 2021
Broadcasting the intervention online from the campus, students say that several police officers have been let in the campus and they have been prevented from putting up their tent upon the Rectorate's instruction.
During the live broadcast, it was seen that Nedim Malkoç, the appointed Secretary General, was the one who gave the order.
CLICK - Boğaziçi University | Stay of execution for Malkoç's appointment
Several students, protesting the removal of the tent, staged a sit-in protest in front of the Rectorate. Several riot police officers and detention vehicles have entered the South Campus.
As of 9 pm today, the police, surrounding the students who wanted to hold a press statement, detained 45 students at the campus.
What happened?
With a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette, President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Prof. Melih Bulu, an academic from outside Boğaziçi University's academic community, as the rector of the university on January 2, which was met with harsh criticism and protests of students, academics and alumni.
Amid these protests, Erdoğan removed Bulu from office with a Presidential decision on July 15; the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) appointed his vice rector Prof. Naci İnci as the acting rector.
The YÖK accepted applications for the rectorship of Boğaziçi University till August 2 and President Erdoğan has appointed Prof. Naci İnci, who accepted his appointment as a vice rector while his two students from the Physics Department were arrested over the protests, dismissed Can Candan and Feyzi Erçin from the university and received a vote of no confidence from 95 percent of Boğaziçi academics. (DŞ/SD)
