Students leading an academic boycott in response to the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have vowed to continue their protest, undeterred by a heightened police presence on university campuses and threats of disciplinary action from the Higher Education Board (YÖK).
In an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW) Turkish, students said that both YÖK and the police had ramped up pressure on universities in an effort to suppress the boycott and prevent any potential demonstrations. Despite this, they emphasized their determination to continue the boycott until what they described as “full democracy” is established in the country.
Following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March, students across the country called for a boycott of classes and examinations. The movement gained support from numerous academics and educational organizations, including the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen).
Upon the announcement of the decision to boycott, YÖK sent a letter to universities instructing them to take necessary “administrative and legal” action against academics, administrative staff and students who participated in or called for class boycotts.
A student from İstanbul’s Bahçeşehir University said YÖK’s move was an attempt to pit academic staff against their own students and that despite the pressure, students have been developing creative forms of protest. For example, they’ve planned a symbolic action to support their friends who were unjustly detained — tapping their pens on their desks during the first minute of exams, then continuing with the test. Similar actions have reportedly taken place at other universities as well.
“Wednesdays have been declared boycott days. On those days, we bring items and food to trade instead of buying or selling in the campus yard. We also do things like play games, make banners or sing songs together.”
Students said they had established class, department and faculty representatives. University-wide representatives were elected from among the faculty delegates, who then created a communications network connecting different universities. These committees were never intended to be temporary; the goal is for them to evolve into lasting representative bodies capable of addressing the universities’ own issues.
Students described the process as the construction of a new system of expression and representation within universities. In the absence of functioning official representation mechanisms, they view the committees they’ve formed as a way for universities to shape their own future.
“Students from different political views have united in their struggle against oppression,” said the students.
Turkish authorities arrested at least 300 students during street protests that erupted following the March 19 detention of İmamoğlu on corruption charges. On Thursday, 102 of those students were released pending trial.
So far, two indictments have been drafted for the detained students. In both indictments, most of the young protesters are charged with “violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations,” and prosecutors are seeking up to three years in prison. The first hearing is scheduled for April 18.
