Istanbul’s Bilgi University reopened Wednesday after a violent police crackdown on student protesters occupying campus buildings in a standoff that lasted several days, according to Al Jazeera and Millennium News 24.
Police forces were deployed to the campus in the early hours following a court order authorizing the evacuation of the facility. Officers entered the university grounds and forcibly removed demonstrators who had been protesting what they described as governmental corruption and restrictions on academic freedom.
Footage from the scene showed heavy police presence outside the campus gates as students were led away by officers. The university confirmed in a brief statement that classes would resume following the “restoration of order.”
The protests at Bilgi University are part of a broader wave of demonstrations that have swept across Turkish university campuses in recent months, as student movements allege political interference in higher education institutions and demand greater institutional autonomy.
Human rights organizations have called on Turkish authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, warning that the use of force against student protesters sets a dangerous precedent for academic freedom in the country. Several international academic bodies, including the European Association for International Education, issued statements of concern following reports of the crackdown.
Bilgi University has a history of political activism. In 2022, students staged similar protests against government-appointed rectors, drawing a heavy-handed response from authorities. The current demonstrations began three weeks ago when a group of students occupied the main administrative building, demanding the resignation of the rector appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government and an end to what they called “political interference in university governance.”
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya defended the police operation, stating that authorities acted within the law and that the university had a right to regain control of its campus. “Order must be maintained,” Yerlikaya said at a press conference in Ankara. “No one is above the law, including those who choose to break it.”
Opposition lawmakers from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for a parliamentary investigation into the police operation, accusing the government of using disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said the images from Bilgi University were “shameful” and demanded that those responsible face accountability.
The reopening of the university comes as Turkish officials face continued scrutiny over the handling of student demonstrations, with opposition lawmakers in parliament demanding a full accounting of the police operation and calling for accountability for any injuries sustained during the evacuation.
Written by Nathan Brooks, Economy Correspondent
Nathan Brooks
Nathan Brooks is an economy correspondent covering US markets and fiscal policy.