The protests which started against the politically motivated appointment of a rector who was close to Presidnet Erdogan, have now diversified into other issues of stifling of freedom of speech and expression by Erdogan’s government.
Erdoğan called the protesting students as “terrorists,” accusing them of exploiting a “routine appointment” to stir unrest at other universities.
The government seems to be in no mood to listen to the protesting students as police barricades and security forces in riot gear have been lined up on the streets since Feb 1st near the main entrance of Istanbul’s Bogazici University.
Early this week, four students were arrested in Istanbul over an artwork that reportedly depicted LGBT rainbow symbols alongside an image of a sacred Islamic site.
The student anger during the past few weeks had been simmering since 2016 when Erdogan abolished university rector elections and instead gave power to his government to appoint rectors and other officials at the universities after the coup attempt to unseat him.
The current clampdown on students and universities has put Turkey at the bottom of the Academic Freedom Index alongside countries like Libya, Iran, North Korea and China.