Police storm Boğaziçi University, detain 51 students

* Photo: Twitter

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Police stormed the South Campus of Boğaziçi University in İstanbul yesterday evening (February 1) and intervened into the students' protests against the appointment of Prof. Melih Bulu as the new rector of their university by a decree of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on January 2.

Earlier yesterday, the students gathered in front of the South Campus for the protest. Police hindered this protest while also preventing the students inside the South Campus from joining their friends outside.

CLICK - Boğaziçi University protests: Several students detained

Some of the students then gathered in front of the Rector's Office at the South Campus; the police made an announcement after 9 p.m. and stated that the coronavirus curfew entered into force, adding that the protest in front of the Rector's Office was "illegal."

"The curfew has entered into force as of 9 p.m. The protest of blockading the Rector's Office is illegal. Go home," said the riot police.

In a message shared on the Twitter account of Resist Boğaziçi (Boğaziçi Direniş) at 10.15 p.m., it was said, "Several of our friends have been detained by hundreds of riot police officers as they were waiting inside their own campus for Melih Bulu to come out of the Rector's Office."

Governor's Office: It was ensured that they disperse

The Governor's Office of İstanbul made a statement about the issue later in the evening. "A group of protesters who blockaded the Rector's Office of Boğaziçi University and among whom were also faculty members and LGBT Club members were warned by the private security guards of the university to end the protest and disperse," said the office and added:

"It was ensured by our Provincial Security Directorate teams that the protesters who did not obey the warning disperse."

159 people in detention

In another statement around an hour later, the Governor's Office announced that 159 people in total were detained in yesterday's protests.

According to this statement, 108 people were taken into custody earlier in the day while they were protesting in front of the campus. 51 others were then detained during the protest in front of the Rector's Office.

The Governor's Office noted that the "suspects" were detained upon the order of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Opposition denounced the protest

Opposition party leaders, namely main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, DEVA Party Chair Ali Babacan, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Chair Erkan Baş and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Mithat Sancar denounced the police intervention and protests on social media. HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan also retweeted a social media message of the HDP İstanbul Provincial Organization.

Üniversitelerini, liyakati ve adaleti savundukları için gençlerin gece yarısı operasyonuyla gözaltına alınması kabul edilemez... Rektör Melih Bulu görevinden ayrılıp bu çirkin duruma son vermelidir. #AslaAşağıBakmayacağız

— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) February 1, 2021

"It is unacceptable that young people are detained in a midnight operation because they defend their university, meritocracy and justice... Rector Melih Bulu must leave office and put an end to this ugly situation."

Beşli çeteye, hırsız yol arkadaşlarına, eli kanlı katillere ağızlarını açamazlar; Boğaziçi'nde seçim isteyen, ülkenin aydınlık yüzü gençlere polisle güç gösterisi yapıyorlar.
Emri verenler de uygulayanlar da suç işliyor!#BoğaziciAblukada #AşağıBakmayacağız

— Erkan BAŞ (@erkbas) February 1, 2021

"They do not say a single word to the gang of five, their fellow thieves or to blood guilties; they are now making a show of force with police to young people, the bright face of the country, who want an election.

"Both the ones who gave the order and the ones who are enforcing this order are committing a crime!"

Yeter artık, inadınızdan vazgeçin. Gözaltına alınan Boğaziçili öğrencileri derhal salın, üniversitelerde de seçimi esas alın.

Gençleri rahat bırakın. Duruşumuz budur.

— Ali Babacan (@alibabacan) February 1, 2021

"Enough is enough; give up your spite. Release the detained Boğaziçi students immediately; take elections as a basis in universities as well. Leave the young alone. This is our stance in the face of it."

Üniversiteler rektörlerini seçimle belirlemelidir. Demokratik protesto haklarını kullanan öğrencilerin gözaltına alınması kabul edilemez. Öğrencilerin talepleri meşrudur ve uygulanmalıdır. Öğrencileri derhal serbest bırakın. #AşağıBakmayacağız

— Mithat Sancar (@mithatsancarr) February 1, 2021

"Universities must determine their rectors with an election. It is unacceptable that the students who used their democratic rights of protest are taken into custody. The requests of students are legitimate and they must be implemented. Release the students immediately."

'We won't look down' on social media

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of the opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, also made a statement about the issue at 11.15 p.m.

İmamoğlu tweeted, "The young cannot be lost to the shortcut of arrest just because some people wanted it. We need to ensure an equal and free country which does not make them look down and provide them with an equality of opportunity. I talked to the authorities about the situation at Boğaziçi. I requested dialogue, my initiatives will continue."

İmamoğlu also tweeted under the hashtag #AşağıBakmayacağız, meaning, "We won't look down." Yesterday, while a group of students were walking towards Boğaziçi University for the protest, a group of police officers intercepted them and reportedly warned them to "look down" and "not to walk in groups." After this video was shared on social media and media outlets, several social media users expressed their criticism under this hashtag.

As of 11.50 p.m. yesterday, over 300 thousand messages were tweeted under the hashtag "We won't look down".

Three requests

Making a statement in front of the Rector's Office before the police intervention, students said, "Our protest is peaceful. We are waiting for Melih Bulu to come down to students and make a statement."

They also listed their three requests: "As Melih Bulu did not keep his promise that not a single student would be arrested, he should first apologize, then resign. Our detained and arrested friends should be released. The police blockade should be removed. We are here." (EKN/SD)