University students organized protest actions in various cities of Turkey for Zeren Ertaş, who lost her life on the night of October 25 due to the elevator's fall at the Güzelhisar Girls' Student Dormitory in Aydın.
The protests drew attention to the poor living conditions in the Higher Education Student Loans and Dormitories Institution (KYK) dormitories, negligence, and the authorities' lack of responsibility in the face of these issues. The students emphasized that Zeren Ertaş's death was not an accident.
During the protests, slogans such as "KYK is the killer," "KYK dorms are turning into graves for the youth," and "We want shelter, not death" were chanted.
“You cannot cover it up”
Police attacked the university students who claimed that their friend died due to the negligence of the dormitory management and attempted to march from Aydın City Square to the Işıklı Girls' KYK Dormitory, and detained two university students.
Boğaziçi University students, in response to a call from the Student Representatives Council (ÖTK), held a demonstration on the North Campus and stated, "You cannot cover it up by calling it an accident."
The students staying at Istanbul Cevizlibağ Girls' Student Dormitory held a protest by displaying a banner that read "We want shelter, not death" and turned on the flashlights on their phones. During the protest, slogans like "Zeren Ertaş is our rebellion" and "We came for shelter, not to die" were chanted.
University students, marching from the Eskişehir Haller Youth Center to the Mükrime Hatun Student Dormitory, frequently chanted the slogan "KYK dorms are turning into graves for the youth" during their march. They also mentioned the students who had committed suicide, saying, "We will not decrease by one more person."
The "Politeknik" group, also known as engineers, architects, and urban planners of the people, issued a statement regarding Zeren Ertaş's death, drawing attention to the responsibility of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and KYK. They stated:
"A properly maintained elevator that adheres to standards, undergoes inspections, and has an active safety mechanism does not carry a load exceeding its capacity, issues warnings, and does not move. The statement made by Aydın Governor Canpolat, attempting to shift the responsibility to the students, is nothing more than an admission that the elevator was not operated in accordance with regulations/standards. The ones responsible are the KYK and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who should be held accountable."
Earlier complaints about the elevators
Images circulated on social media showing that a complaint had previously been submitted to the Presidential Communication Center (CİMER) regarding the elevator in question.
Aydın Adnan Menderes University undergraduate student: The elevator always breaks down. The students are stuck in the elevator.
Furthermore, in some cities, KYK officials were also out on campuses, attempting to prevent students from protesting, in addition to the police. It was reported that the director of Seyyid İbrahim Bilal KYK Dormitory in Sinop addressed the students, saying, "If you're afraid or think it might fall, then don't use the elevator."
On the other hand, students residing in KYK dormitories begun sharing their problems on social media. The issues they have been experiencing include poor living conditions in the dormitories, overcrowded rooms, non-functional elevators and fire exits, and the poor quality of food served in the dining halls. (TY/PE)
