03/07/2019 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
The Credit and Dorms Institutions (KYK), upon receiving a letter from the Ankara Security Office, have cut the scholarships and credits of those arrested during the METU LGBTI+ Pride March.
The Credit and Dorms Institutions (KYK), upon receiving a letter from the Ankara Security Office, have cut the scholarships and credits of those arrested during the METU LGBTI+ Pride March.
The Youth and Sport Ministry’s Credit and Dormitory Institution (KYK) cut the scholarships and credits of those students arrested at the METU Pride March on May 10th.
The Students arrested were informed by mail of KYK’s decision of to cut the students’ funding upon receiving a letter from the Ankara Provincial Security Office. Furthermore, KYK also demanded the payment of any institution loans from any of the affected students.
Students punished for peaceful action!
The KYK showed the ‘Higher Education Credit and Dormitory Institution Credit Directorate’s ‘Circumstances for Not Giving Scholarship/Credit’ clause as justification for their decision. This clause states that:
“Any student or students in an education institution or a dormitory found to be, either individually or as part of a group, supporting terrorism or anarchy, violating or attempting to violate academic freedom (for example resistance, boycott, occupation, writing letters, painting, or shouting slogans, or any other such act), or using in a fight firearms, explosives, knives, or any other similar devices which cut, pierce, burn, suffocate, crush, or otherwise harm someone cannot be given funding.”
What happened at the METU Pride March?
At the METU Rectorate’s request, police entered the METU campus and attacked the 9th METU LGBTI+ Pride March with pepper spray and plastic bullets. More than twenty students and one faculty member were arrested, all of who were released in the late hours the same night.
On the 13th of May, in order to demonstrate the students’ continuing rights to their own university, a symbolic resignation ceremony for the rector was organized. On the 14th of May, to protest the police violence on the campus, a general boycott of classes was begun.
Until today, no actions have been taken regarding the police attacks on the students and faculty.
Translation: Kyle Zurcher
Tags: human rights, education