'We want dormitories that don't make profit out of students'

Photo: İTÜ Solidarity

Click to read the article in Turkish

Failed to find housing because of insufficient dormitory capacities, students of İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) have been keeping vigil on the campus in Maslak.

While the students have been trying to make their voices heard since October 18, the rector's office has been silent about the housing problems. On October 19, the school's private security guards attacked the students.

Students say they will continue to keep a watch at the Central Classroom Building in Maslak until the rector responds to their demands.

Students from the İTÜ Solidarity told bianet that the rector's office makes profit out of students and their housing problem is not taken into consideration.

NOTE • Since late September, students across Turkey have been protesting the housing problems that emerged due to the excessive increase in rent prices and insufficient dorm capacities.

"Exorbitant fees"

While İTÜ has about 38,00 students, its dorm capacity is only 4,860 people, said Sera Yağmur Sonat.

"Nearly 2,000 students couldn't settle in dormitories. Currently, the dormitories are exorbitantly priced, anyway. It's not possible for students to pay dormitory fees of 700 or 1,000 lira with a 650 lira scholarship they receive from the Higher Education Student Loans and Dormitories Institution.

"When we had the same problem last year, the administration told us that they didn't have money but they purchased the Doğa Schools."

Students demand dormitories that are run by İTÜ and that don't make profit our of students, said Sonat.

Students who can't find a dormitory face many problems, she added. "We hear that our friends return to their hometowns, can't come to school at all, stay on the streets or homes of their relatives.

"We learn that women students who stay at homes of their acquaintances face pressures and are exposed to violence. Our concern is the immediate placement of the unattended students in dormitories."

CLICK - Failing to find housing, women students face family pressure to return home

"The rector should solve the problem"

Students had set up a booth and tried to make their voices heard for two weeks, but after failing to get any results, they decided to turn the Central Classroom Building into a dormitory, said Sonat.

"We put up a banner that read, 'Koyuncu, build dormitories.' Because Rector İsmail Koyuncu is also the chair of the foundations and is the person who should solve our housing problems.

"When the Private Security Unit came like an army at midnight, we said we wouldn't leave unless an official statement meeting our demand came from the rector.

"We reminded the security chiefs that it would be a crime if they attacked us, but private security officers attempted to take us out by beating us.

"I was hit in the head there and spent the night at the hospital. We have friends who were battered and still can't walk."

"They don't pay a rent but ask for fees"

Ozan Can Seis, another İTÜ student, said the foundations of İTÜ make profit out of students.

"The foundations of İTÜ run most of the dormitories. The institutions that should normally help students as part of their mission don't pay taxes, don't pay rents, but rents dormitories to students at exorbitant prices.

"The average fee of the dormitories of this foundation is 1,200 lira; the average fee of the İTÜ dormitories is 900 lira. Some rooms of the foundation's dormitories, which have a fine view, are called private rooms, and their fees start from 1,900 lira.

"The foundation advertises the scholarships it gives to the students but the money for that scholarships already come from the payments of other students pay to the İTÜ dormitories."

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About the night when the security guards attacked them, he said, "When it was midnight, first, the lights were turned off, then were were surrounded by the security guards.

"The security chiefs attempted to take us out with threats like, 'We'll take action against you, we'll intervene in.'

"İsmail Dabanlı, who claims to be the deputy of the secretary-general of the rector's office, came to us. He's an academic at the Faculty of Construction and we couldn't find a record of his official relation to the rector's office.

"When we explained our problems, Dabanlı gave answers like, 'You draw a dormitory and we build that. Come to me tomorrow, I'll solve your dormitory problem.'

"We said we demanded an official statement. After this, he went away to make a phone call. While we were waiting for him to come back, he talked a few words to the security chiefs and left the building without even looking back.

"After that talk, a security chief said, 'It's going to be a bit harsh, but what can we do?' Many of our friends were battered."

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There was also a heavy police presence although they were not involved in the incidents, said Seis. "The front of the building was full of riot control vehicles and riot police buses. We saw police officers with automatic rifles in their hands on the campus. We think they massed police to intimidate us."

(CA/NÖ/VK)