APPOINTED RECTOR IN OFFICE AT BOĞAZİÇİ

Vice rector against feminism: ‘He doesn’t believe woman’s statement is essential’

Speaking at the meeting of the Commission on Prevention of Sexual Violence (CİTÖK) on April 20, Boğaziçi University’s appointed vice rector Fazıl Önder Sönmez defined the CİTÖK Coordinator on unpaid leave as a “radical feminist”.

Dilek Şen

Vice rector against feminism: ‘He doesn’t believe woman’s statement is essential’

* Image: Boğaziçi Resistance Twitter account, boun.edu.tr, bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

Fazıl Önder Sönmez, the appointed Dean of the Engineering Faculty of Boğaziçi University and the appointed vice rector of the appointed Boğaziçi University rector Melih Bulu, targeted the principle of "Woman's statement is to be considered primary" at the meeting of the university's Commission on Prevention of Sexual Violence (CİTÖK) on April 20, 2021.

Sönmez also defined Cemre Baytok, the CİTÖK Office Coordinator who was put on unpaid leave in early April, as a "radical feminist" and stated that he examined Baytok's social media messages.

The articles of Sönmez on "Çatlak Zemin" website were also cited as the reason for not applying for a short time working allowance for Baytok.

NOTE: "Çatlak Zemin" is "a website for feminist voices, debates and news, founded by a group of feminists from Turkey", as it defines itself.

A person from the Boğaziçi University has spoken to bianet about Sönmez's remarks, which were also taken down in the meeting minutes:

"At our commission meeting on April 20, 2021, we - as the members of the commission - asked Fazıl Önder Sönmez why another application for a short time working allowance was not made for Cemre Baytok. Sönmez shared articles from the 'Çatlak Zemin' with us."

He repeatedly said it

The person from Boğaziçi says that Sönmez "showed them the articles by underlining certain parts of them" and briefly added:

"Sönmez said that Baytok had a radical feminist approach to incidents of sexual harassment and 'she was of the opininon that the woman's statement is essential and the man is obliged to prove the contrary.' He argued that Baytok considered revelation to be a legitimate alternative.

"He said that such an attitude at the CİTÖK office was objectionable; in that case, male students accused of sexual harassment could get unjust disciplinary punishments and, with some smears, they could be put in a position where they could no longer continue their education.

"During these talks, he stated that he didn't believe in the principle of 'Woman's statement is essential' and that the woman's statement could be taken into consideration. We tried to explain that this principle says exactly this. But he said he was against this principle a couple of times."

A psychologist to be hired for the CİTÖK

For these reasons, Sönmez said, he had a negative opinion about Baytok, adding that the final decision would be given by Melih Bulu.

At the meeting, Sönmez also said that they were looking for a clinical psychologist for this position and this person could also work at the Boğaziçi University Guidance and Psychological Counseling Center (BÜREM).

CLICK - Bulu's new issue: Commission on prevention of sexual harassment

'Preventive function' of the CİTÖK

When we asked Nükhet Sirman, a faculty member from the Boğaziçi University Department of Sociology, about the importance of the CİTÖK's function, she explained it briefly as follows:

"The CİTÖK was taking up lots of tasks. It was trying to take measures. It was producing knowledge about gender, violence against women and different forms of violence. It was both warning women students about all these subjects and teaching male students what they should not do. In other words, the CİTÖK had a very important function.

"Moreover, students used to trust the CİTÖK. They were sure that what they said would not be distorted or it would not be conveyed somewhere else. Now, more legal, quiet, peaceful solutions are being blocked. Very different systems might be brought up."

Most recently, it has been reported that a male official named H.K.A. working at the Registrar's Office of Boğaziçi University took the photos of women students in the outdoor swimming pool at the South Campus Sports Facilities. Harassed in the incident that happened last week, the women prefered revealing the harasser.

Referring to the intention to hire a psychologist for the CİTÖK, Nükhet Sirman indicated that "it would lead the issue to be taken out of its context of gender inequality and bring about its psychologization."

Who is Fazıl Önder Sönmez?

Prof. Fazıl Önder Sönmez, a faculty member from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, did his BA and MA at Boğaziçi University and got his PhD at UCLA in Los Angeles, the United States.

Sönmez is one of the first disciplinary board members of the BURA - the People of Boğaziçi Association. The 1st General Assembly of the BURA on October 10, 2004 was attended by AKP politicians Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kadir Topbaş and Burhan Kuzu. The 15th Ordinary General Assembly on December 1, 2019 was also attended by Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop.

He is also an advisor to the Boğaziçi Islam Research Club (BİSAK).

(DŞ/SD)

Dilek Şen

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İstanbul Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Gazetecilik Bölümü 2014 mezunu. Mesleğe 2013’te başladı. T24'te stajyerlik, Cumhuriyet'te editörlük, Medyascope'ta muhabirlik yaptı. Uluslararası Gazeteciler Programı’nın (IJP) Johannes Rau Burs Programı'nı 2017'de Berlin'deki taz gazetesinde, State Scholarships Foundation’ın (IKY) Yunan Dili ve Kültürü programını ise 2019'da Yanya Üniversitesi'nde tamamladı.