Students protest against political interference

CIHAN 11 April 2015

A group of around 100 students at Istanbul University have launched a protest, saying they will not leave the campus until Mahmut Ak, who was appointed as the university's new rector after coming in second in elections for the position, hands over his post to Rasit Tükel, the first place winner, reports CIHAN.

The students began their protest last Monday after releasing a written statement which declared that Ak, who is known to be close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was appointed as the new rector even though Tükel was the winner of elections held at the university for the post. Stating that they do not want to cause disorder at the university, which is currently in the middle of midterm exams, the students said they will nevertheless stay at the university until their demands are met. “We will not let the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AK Party terrorise [us through] this decision, and we will not be provoked,” the students said in their statement.

Erdogan has chosen to disregard the results of the ballot box in elections for the presidency of three public universities, namely Istanbul, Harran and Uludag universities, in recent appointments he has made.
Full report on the CIHAN site

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