Prevented from entering Boğaziçi campus, academics file a criminal complaint

Turkish Penal Code (TCK)

Article 117 - Violation of the Freedom to Work and Labour

(1) Any person who violates the freedom to work or labour by using force, threats or by any other unlawful act shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to two years or a judicial fine, upon the complaint of the victim.

(2) Any person who employs another person, or persons, without payment or on a very low salary, which is clearly disproportionate to the service provided, or subjects such person, or persons, to conditions of work and residence which are incompatible with human dignity by exploiting his helplessness, isolation, or dependence shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to three years, or a judicial fine which will not be less than hundred days.

(3) Where a person provides an individual, or sends or transports an individual from one place to another, with the aim of placing such person in the situation described in the above paragraph the same penalty shall be imposed.

(4) A person who forces, or threatens, a worker or employer to increase or decrease earnings, or to accept an agreement with conditions that are different from those previously agreed upon, in order to cause the cessation, suspension or continuation of a suspension of work shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to three years.

Article 154 - Trespass

(1) (Amended on 25 February 2009 – By Article 1 of the Law no. 5841) Any person who partially, or completely, occupies (as if he were the owner) immovable property, or its associated property, belonging to a public institution or real person, or alters or destroys the boundaries of such places, or prevents, even partially, the owner from using such, shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to three years and a judicial fine up to one thousand days.

(2) The penalty under the aforementioned paragraph shall apply to a person who knowingly takes controls of, exclusively enjoys the use of or harvests part or all of, the land, such as pastures, places for ripening harvest, roads or natural springs etc.. which belong to the legal personality of the village or has been part of the common use of the villagers for a substantial period of time.

(3) The penalty under paragraph one shall apply to a person who alters the direction of any water flow belonging to either a public or real person.

Article 112 - Prevention of the Right to Education and Training

(Amended on 2 March 2014 – By Article 12 of the Law no. 6529) (1) Any person who prevents any of the following acts, by the use of force or threat or any other unlawful act, shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of two to five years:

a) all forms of educational and training activities which have beenestablished by a public authority or carried out under a license issued by public authority;

b) exercising the right to education and training; or

c) entering or remaining in buildings or premises where students are living communally.

Article 119 - Common Provision

(1) Where the offences of preventing education and training; preventing activities of a public institution or professional institution considered to be a public institution; preventing exercise of political rights; preventing exercise of the freedom of belief, thought and conviction; violation of the residence immunity; violation of the freedom to work and labour are committed:

a) by using a weapon;

b) while concealing an identity or with an unsigned letter or by using a particular symbol;

c) together by more than one person;

d) by taking advantage of the power to invoke fear derived from a criminal organisation which exists, or is assumed to exist;

e) By misusing the influence derived from public office,the penalty to be imposed shall be doubled.

(2) During the commission of these offences, if Aggravated Injury on Account of its Consequences occurs, then the provisions relating to intentional injury shall be additionally applied.