Academic’s murder sparks discussion on violence

The Turkish ministry of the interior and the Council of Higher Education are set to establish a joint commission to develop measures against violence in Turkish universities following the murder of a 23-year old research assistant by a student in Ankara on Wednesday last week, reports Ahval.

The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the head of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Yekta Sarac, in a written statement on 5 January, said that following the murder and other violent incidents that have taken place in recent months in universities, they have decided along with the ministry to develop a special action plan.

Ceren Damar Senel, a research assistant working at Cankaya University’s department of law, was killed in her office by her student who beat, stabbed and shot her twice after being caught cheating during an examination. Hasan Ismail Hikmet, the accused who admitted the murder, accused Damar Senel of behaving “adversely” towards him. “I had to cheat in order to pass the exam. This is why I prepared in advance notes for cheating,” he said.
Full report on the Ahval News site