Solidarity with staff and students at Boğaziçi University in Turkey

UCU is concerned about recent developments at Boğaziçi University in Turkey. On 1 January 2021, a new university president - Professor Melih Bulu - was appointed as a result of a Presidential Decree. Professor Melih Bulu has close connections to President Erdoğan's ruling AKP party and is not from Boğaziçi'sown academic community.

Staff and students at Boğaziçi have strongly criticised the decision as an attack on academic freedom and university autonomy. A number of students have also been detained by police for protesting against the new appointment.

UCU calls for the immediate release of all students who have been detained for exercising their democratic right to protest.

UCU expresses its solidarity with staff and students at Boğaziçi University - and throughout Turkey - in their defence of academic freedom, university autonomy and democracy.

See also the statement by the university's academics and news from our sister union in Turkey, Egitem-Sen (tur).

Update: Please sign the Amnesty petition calling for justice for ill-treated students at Boğaziçi University.