Government-university tensions mount over campus road

Hurriyet Daily News 14 September 2013

Tension between Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) is on the rise over a planned road project crossing through the campus and a recent protest by some students against a group on campus promoting Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s movement, reports Hurriyet Daily News.

In the latest chapter of tension, the AKP’s Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek announced that he has filed criminal complaints against deputies from the main opposition Republican People’s Party for supporting the protests against the road project. On the other hand, a lawyer has opened a “suspension of execution” case against the ODTÜ road project, petitioning the Ankara administrative court.

The road project will pass through the leafy campus and lead to destruction of around 3,000 trees, sparking protests that have intensified since 6 September. An occupation near the campus entrance against the project has been ongoing since last month. For the past few days, police have been frequently intervening with water cannons and tear gas, while also detaining some of the protesters.
Full report on the Hurriyet Daily News site

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