After protests by students at the renowned Bogazici University in Istanbul, the Turkish police arrested 16 people. The state news agency Anadolu reported today that twelve more are being sought. They are accused of violating the assembly law and resisting officials on duty. Students from Bogazici University protested against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of a new rector.
There were clashes with the police. Erdogan had appointed the new director Melih Bulu, who ran in 2015 as a candidate for the Islamic conservative ruling party AKP, at the weekend. As president, Erdogan has the right to appoint rectors. The students criticize, among other things, the closeness of the director to the AKP and the appointment as undemocratic. They are demanding the right to elect their own director.
