Turkey: Students oppose Erdogan’s appointment of university rector

Students at Turkey’s Bogazici University yesterday protested against the appointment of their educational institute’s rector without an election.

Yesterday, Turkish police closed the gates of Istanbul’s prestigious university and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at students protesting against a rector picked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, local media reported.

The second student demonstration in three days against Erdogan’s pick to head a top university delivered a rare challenge to the Turkish leader since he cracked down on dissent after surviving a coup bid in 2016. @AFP on the Bogazici protestshttps://t.co/xPO9KVI734 pic.twitter.com/LuZdm7gVJ4

— Dmitry Zaks (@dmitryzaksAFP) January 6, 2021

According to Hurriyet Daily News, Melih Bulu – who stood as a Justice and Development party (AKP) parliamentary candidate in 2015 – was appointed as rector of Bogazici University by Erdogan in a presidential decree issued on 1 January and sworn into office on Tuesday.

Students in Boğaziçi calls the trustee rector of AKP, Melih Bulu to resign by playing Master Of Puppets by Metallica after he specifically stated that he listens metal music. pic.twitter.com/KzR1R7wEjH

— Socialist Student Movement – International (@SocialistMov) January 6, 2021

The appointment was met with outrage from the student body and faculty members, who interpreted Bulu’s appointment as an attempt at curtailing academic freedoms.

Turkey’s top university Bogazici has a new pro-gov’t president, who said the other day that he likes to listen Metallica.

Student response is brilliant pic.twitter.com/3M4giFmNFl

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) January 6, 2021

According to local laws, university rectors are appointed through elections.

Bogazici University, which was previously known as American Robert College, has traditionally been a stronghold of leftist causes. Several of its students were arrested after a demonstration against Turkey’s military offensive in Syria in 2018.

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