Turkish police clash with students as Bogazici protests near one-month mark
Turkish police cracked down on protests in Istanbul and Ankara, as demonstrations continued over the controversial appointment of a government-linked rector to head one of Turkey’s top universities.
ISTANBUL — Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters gathered in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district, as student-led demonstrations continued to escalate on Feb. 2. Videos shared on social media show protesters clashing with Turkish security forces in Kadikoy and downtown Ankara, where dozens were reportedly taken into custody.
The events came after police detained more than 150 protesters at Bogazici University on Feb. 1 following almost a month of demonstrations by students and some faculty members over the controversial appointment of a government-linked rector to head the school.
Nearly 100 of Monday’s detainees were released, but demonstrators gathered once more on Feb. 1 in at least three Turkish cities to denounce what they called disproportionate police force employed to quell protests at Bogazici. Some Turkish citizens in several cities also showed support for demonstrators by clanging pots and pans from their windows at 9 p.m.
Since Jan. 4, students at Bogazici University, one of Turkey’s top educational institutions, have called for the resignation of Melih Bulu, a long-time member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was appointed as the school’s rector early last month by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
