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10 students were taken into custody at Turkey’s top Boğaziçi University in İstanbul on 5 October on the grounds that they joined the protests against the university’s appointed rector Naci İnci.
Three of the students were released after giving statements, however seven students were then held overnight and transferred on 6 October to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan directly from the police station. After the court appearence four students were released on bail from the Court while three were directed to be charged and the İstanbul Penal Judgeship of Peace on Duty has ruled for two students to be charged. The one other student was also at this point released on bail.
It was learned that the reason for the detention of the students was that the Rector of Boğaziçi University, Naci İnci, had given the names of the university students who participated in the protests against him.
Gercek Gundem has accessed the documents showing the complaints made by İnci about the students.
In the documents, rector Inci reports 14 students to the police for threats, insults, damage to property, resisting duty and opposition to the law on meetings and demonstrations.
The official complaint alleges that İnci’s vehicle was blocked by the students and he alleges he was insulted by the students. İnci is demanding that the prosecutor’s office hold a public trial to punish the students for these crimes.
What happened?
The protests against the appointed rector Melih Bulu imposed on Boğaziçi University by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been continuing since 1 January, 2021.
As students have been protesting against such government impositions on the university they started a long protest against the appointed rector with hundreds of students being beaten, tortured and detained by Turkish police while many have also been jailed since the beginning of the protests.
Academics from the university have also been organising protests such as turning their backs on the rector’s office to also protest the situation and show solidarity with the students since 5 January 2021.
As a result of the protests from both the students and academics Melih Bulu was dismissed on 14 July and Naci İnci has been the acting rector of the university since.
Protests from both the students and the faculty alumni continue.
