The 2023-2024 graduation ceremony at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (METU) was marked by strong student protests at the Devrim (Revolution) Stadium on Tuesday. Continuing METU’s long tradition of student activism, the event, while celebratory in nature, also served as a platform for students and their families to voice their concerns on various political and institutional issues.
As has become customary at METU graduation ceremonies, many of the graduates carried banners bearing messages that were highly critical of the government. These slogans addressed a wide range of issues, including satirical messages reflecting frustration with the current political climate. Some focused on the denial of the Kurdish language and instances of racism in Turkey. The banners, presented during the traditional procession, were a visible and vocal manifestation of student dissent.
However, as darkness fell over the stadium, the banners became less visible to the crowd, prompting a spontaneous protest. Students and their families began chanting “Turn on the lights!” in protest at the administration’s handling of the situation, further highlighting the tension between the university’s administrators and its student body.
The protest reached a peak during a speech by METU’s rector, Prof Dr Ahmet Yozgatlıgil. As he addressed the audience, students and parents turned their backs in unison and whistled in protest. Midway through the rector’s speech, the stadium’s video and sound systems were cut off, leading to further speculation and unrest among those present.
METU’s valedictorian, Ali Yıldız, gave a speech that received a standing applause from the audience. Yıldız, who ranked first in his graduating class, used his platform to deliver a speech centred on ‘What science is not’, in which he offered a pointed critique of the university’s governance and recent administrative decisions.
“In these five years, I have learned what science is not,” Yıldız began, before going on to criticise the university’s handling of environmental issues, including the cutting down of trees in the Kavaklık area. He also condemned the dismissal of professors with oppositional views, the eviction of earthquake survivors from dormitories and the university’s decision to send police to student protests, especially during the METU Pride Parade. Yıldız also criticised the cancellation of the Spring Festival, a rare opportunity for students to relax during the academic year.
“Science is not rushing to cut down hundreds of trees in Kavaklık; it is about making our campus and Ankara even greener.
Science is not sacking professors just because they have different opinions. It is about showing the world that we can live together in harmony despite our different views,” said Yıldız, amid a standing ovations.
“Science does not evict earthquake-affected students from their dormitories. Science does not send police against students
exercising their constitutional right to protest peacefully during the METU Pride Parade,” Yıldız continued.
The METU graduation ceremony, traditionally a moment of pride, became a powerful platform for political expression as Yıldız’s speech and the students’ protests and banners quickly gained significant attention on social media. The graduates’ voices reverberated far beyond the stadium, becoming a broader expression of discontent over issues such as academic freedom, governance and social justice in Turkey.
