METU rector suspends 17 student clubs for protesting pro-government group's event

Students hung a banner reading "suspended" under the sign of the Rector's Office.

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The appointed rector of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ/METU), one of Türkiye's oldest universities in the capital of Ankara, has suspended the activities of 17 student clubs over a January 5 protest.

The protest targeted a "defense industry summit" organized by the Defense Industry Club, a group that the protesters said is affiliated with the Youth Union of Türkiye (TGB).

The TGB is the youth branch of the Patriotic (Vatan) Party, a self-acknowledged "Eurasianist" party supporting the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government.

The 45-day suspension of activities will start on January 23, according to an email sent today (January 20) to the clubs by the Office of Deputy Rectors.

The clubs were sanctioned because of "preventing a permitted event organized by an official student club" and "damaging our university's infrastructure and standards," according to the email.

About 80 students had protested the defense industry event. The rector's office had postponed the event while disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against dozens of protesters.

A conference on evolution scheduled to be held by the Biology and Genetics Club on February 10-11 is among the events to be affected by the penalty.

The suspended clubs are the clubs of political science, economy, sociology, architecture, environment, media, philosophy, archeology, amateur photography, climbing and winter sports, computer, biology and genetics, and cinema. (TY/VK)