Investigation Against Students Attacked with Truncheons at Ankara University

* Photo: Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Dean's Office of the Ankara University Faculty of Law has launched an investigation against the students of the Faculty of Political Sciences.

A disciplinary investigation has been launched against 10 students who were first attacked by private security guards with truncheons, then by a group of nationalists at the Fazıl Kafadar Sports Hall at their campus.

The students were attacked by the security guards on November 19, 2019 while they were attempting to attend the "Symposium on Turkey's Modernization Process and Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences."

CLICK - Students Attacked with Truncheons at Ankara University

As reported by Nurettin Öztatar from Mülkiye Haber news website, the Chair of the Investigation Commission has sent a written notice to the students to inform them about the disciplinary investigation:

"A disciplinary investigation has been launched against you by the Dean's Office of the Ankara University Faculty of Law as per the relevant articles of the Student Discipline Regulations on Higher Education Institutions in relation with the incidents that took place in front of the Faculty of Political Sciences Fazıl Kafadar building on November 19, 2019 at around 1 p.m."

While the students have been summoned to make a statement on February 24, it is the second time that an investigation has been launched against the attacked students. The Faculty of Political Sciences previously launched another disciplinary investigation against the students.

What happened?

Ankara University (AÜ) and the Turkish Historical Society (TTK) held a "Symposium on Turkey's Modernization Process and Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences" on November 19, 2019.

While Ankara University President Erkan İbiş and Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan also attended the symposium, the students of the faculty were prevented from doing so.

While the speakers were discussing the role of Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University in the modernization of Turkey, the students who attempted to attend the symposium were battered by the private security guards who were trying to lock the doors in the meantime.

After private security personnel attacked the students, a group of around 50 nationalists gathered at the backyard of the university. This group also attacked the students and academics.

Students defended themselves against the nationalists who walked up to them and tried to punch them. After the attack, the students chanted the slogan, "Cebeci [Campus] will be a grave to fascism." (RT/SD)