Police Attacks in METU Throughout Last Night

Police forces assaulted demonstrators who aimed to replant trees after Ankara Municipality bulldozers cut reportedly 3,000 trees on METU campus on October 18. The clashes between police and demonstrators lasted throughout the night, forming clouds of tears on university campus. 

Several METU-associated bodies released statements, saying that the municipality’s action was illegal as the deadline for the objection against the planned road construction has not been met yet. 

Dozens of people assembled on METU campus last night after an appeal by Orta Doğu Academicians Association, METU Alumni Association, METU Assistant Solidarity Group, Eğitim-Sen Branch No 5 and METU Student Entity to “come and plant 5,000 trees against profit”. 

Bulldozers worked relentlessly on the road construction as demonstrators planted trees in the area. Police, on the other hand, attacked demonstrators with tear gas - a type of violence that lasted throughout the night. 

METU President’s Office: We returned municipality’s payment 

Reacting upon Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gökçek’s statement that they have paid 211,000 liras for the compensation of 2,388 trees, METU administration sent a twitter message last night, saying that they have returned the payment. 

“METU President’s Office has returned the payment from Ankara Metropolitan Municipality for the compensation of trees.”

The office also released a statement yesterday, saying that they would replant 3,000 trees on the upcoming Thursday or Friday, replacing the trees chopped by municipality bulldozers. 

“It is unfortunate that some didn’t take lessons,” said Jean-Maurice Ripert, EU Turkey Delegation President at a meeting by Diplomacy Journalists Association. (BK/BM)

* Photo credit: Halil Sağırkaya / Ankara / AA

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.