Turkish students fight for autonomy and democracy

Prof. Dilek Cetindamar, University of Technology, Sydney

Millennial and Gen Z students at Istanbul's Boğaziçi University are writing history, not only by resisting heavy-handed police violence, mass detentions, and arrests for defending democratic rights in Turkey, but also for showing how to do it in style.

Gallup conducted a study among Millennials in 2016 and concluded that 'Millennials will decisively change the world more than any other generation.' These tech-savvy generations take active roles in recent global pro-democracy demonstrations, ranging from Hong Kong to Thailand. Recently, Myanmar (after the coup) and Turkish youth joined their peers’ ranks.

Police clash with student protesters at Boğaziçi University.

ahvalnews.com

Why are students protesting?

Boğaziçi University students have been in demonstrations since 4 January 2021 due to a trustee (in Turkish 'Kayyum,' referring to an unelected political appointee) rector’s appointment, a businessman and member of the ruling conservative AK Party. My alma mater, Boğaziçi University, established in 1863, is one of Turkey’s most prestigious universities.

Most of its students are among the top 1,000 students entering the university exam each year, where around two million students compete. Its graduates serve significant senior roles across industries; for example, 60% of the top 500 companies’ senior managers are alumni of the university.

These students found plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation and essays in the first week of his illegitimate appointment. Students have been exercising various peaceful protests every day and inviting the appointed rector to resign during the past month, parallel to the Boğaziçi University academicians’ protests.

Its graduates support them. A survey among the university alumni points out that 99% of them favour elected rectors, and another survey shows that 70% of citizens reject the idea of a political person’s appointment.

The demonstrations have spread widely across many Turkish universities, becoming a demand for the 'Autonomous and Democratic University' movement.

Students have been exercising their constitutional rights of free speech, while the Government’s answer so far has been heavy-handed police violence, mass detentions, and arrests. Around 600 students have been detained, nine have been arrested, and more than 25 have been put into house-arrests.

Additionally, the Turkish Government has been attempting to discredit student protests by calling them elitist, terrorist, and foreign forces’ prawns. Some government officials and followers of the ruling party put forward grievous threats to students, inciting hatred with homophobic comments and discriminating against LGBT student groups.

Students get creative

In response to these assaults, students do not give up, and they do stand up for their future. They do not fall into provocation while insisting on their demand and responding with humorous language.

Contrary to their image living in the virtual world, they are out there on their campuses and organise numerous creative protests every day. They even declared an open letter to the President, who targeted them for not being courageous, and they insisted on proclaiming their simple and straightforward demands:

• All students detained, under house-arrest, and arrested should be immediately released!

• The police blockading universities must withdraw from all campuses!

• All trustee rectors, including Boğaziçi's rector, should resign immediately!

• Rectors' elections should be held with the participation of all components of the universities!

• The freedom of expression of students exercising their constitutional rights be guaranteed, and all forms of discrimination be ended!

The Boğaziçi University students use social media effectively, producing slogans, launching impressive videos, online broadcasting of protests, and Twitter campaigns that reach international audiences. They rapidly organise open democratic platforms and communicate their messages effectively. They always come up with something new and attractive for their generation, such as running a song competition for their protests.

Flow on effect

Their protests have rippled through other universities across the country. They have received endorsements from Turkish writers, artists, and journalists. Numerous high school and university student clubs use their names and declare endorsements or open letters.

In addition, almost 5,000 academics worldwide (including Prof. Noam Chomsky) and well-established institutions such as Scholars at Risk and Academic Solidarity Network are among the Boğaziçi declaration signatories.

The high popularity of this autonomous and independent university movement comes from the fact that Turkish students are aware that they will lose their future to the ruling government’s conservative agenda if they lose universities. Turkey has faced the decay of its secular

institutions, including universities, for the past 19 years. According to the Academic Freedom Index, Turkey ranks 135th among 144 countries in 2020.

The Boğaziçi University students are aware that tomorrow is possible with scientific, secular, and independent universities, and hence they are wholeheartedly engaged with their ideals. They strongly exist in the 'real world' for their future as any other generation in history.

Interestingly enough, they own the universal university principles that go back to 1830 by Wilhelm von Humboldt, founder of the University of Berlin. As he highlighted: Academic activity should be protected from government control and interference.

Universities cannot exist without freedom of education and autonomy of academia, hence Turkish Millennials and Gen Z stand up for their future. Even though they diverge according to their political views, religious beliefs, or sexual preferences, they are at peace with all these differences and demand democratic rights for all.

Their straightforward and heartfelt actions establish a throne in millions’ hearts. That is why the general public care for Boğaziçi University students. For example, they support students by banging pots and pans at night.

Time will tell about the outcome, but history books will write their special touch on their fight for academic freedom in Turkey. ◆