On January 4, Istanbul's Boğaziçi University was the site of one of the biggest mass campus protests in Turkey in the past year. Students of the oldest international university on earth protested against appointment of a trustee rector, with disregard of the institution's democratically elected rectors tradition since 1863. Police targeted 28 students after the protest and detained 18 so far in dawn raids.
#dokuz8/Gürkan Özturan
After mass campus protests, pro-AKP media started airing news claiming that the protestors were indeed terrorists aiming to assault state's police officers. The manipulative coverage of pro-AKP news outlets also included CHP's Istanbul chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu, framing her as supporter of terrorism on campuses. At 1 am on January 5, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu went out and posed with a police officer, sharing this photo with the note "I am with the police, I am against those who say 'murderer police' and I am aware of those spineless slugs."
DAWN RAIDS AGAINST STUDENTS
In the early hours of January 5, anti-terrorism police conducted coordinated raids against students' homes in Istanbul, detaining at least 18 students from various universities for joining Boğaziçi University protests the previous day. Anti-terrorism department is still looking for 10 other students for "resistance against on-duty officers."
AFTER PROTESTS
Following yesterday's protest, the gates of Boğaziçi University were handcuffed. The gates remain locked to students and police barricade remains around the university. Students announced they will boycott classes on Tuesday and continue protests as of Wednesday. On campus it is also claimed that the rectorate handover ceremony will take place at the gate of the South Campus today.
