Women protest ‘women’s universities’ in Ankara: Several detained

* Photo: JinNews - "Every man is a bit of a trustee"

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Studying in the capital city of Ankara, a group of women wanted to stage a protest against the planned establishment of "women's universities" in Turkey. While women gathered in Kuğulupark in Çankaya district, the police intervened against the protesting women.

As reported by JinNews, they did not allow the women to make a press statement, battering and detaining several women afterwards. Journalists trying to cover the protest and the police intervention were also prevented by the police and the park was surrounded by riot police officers.

What happened?

Mukogawa Women's University of Japan awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree to President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 27, 2019. In his speech there, Erdoğan said:

"Several of our Western neighbors preferred to hide behind high walls and barbed wires. Neither the cries of mothers and fathers hugging the deceased bodies of their children, nor the images of torture coming from the prisons or the tears of innocent children were enough to persuade them to act.

"Whatever the circumstances, we will continue protecting the oppressed and suffered regardless of their ethnic identities, beliefs or skin colors. We will examine the 80 women's universities [in Japan] and take steps for that."

Erdoğan delivered another speech at the graduation ceremony of international students on July 3, 2019 and stated that the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) must work on the issue of women's universities:

"I saw it at the G20 summit, 10 percent of 800 universities in Japan are women's universities. They only consist of girls. I remind the YÖK Chair [about it]. Do your work accordingly. This is very important.

"A similar step must be taken in Turkey. The example of universities solely consisting of girls in Japan is interesting. Our country used to have girls' and boys' high schools. Then, they mixed them."

With the Official Gazette published on October 28, it is now officially confirmed that "women's universities" are poised to be founded in Turkey. (EMK/SD)