Students Arrested in Turkey for Graffiti Demanding 'Freedom'

Protests against the newly appointed rector of Bogazici University in Turkey are ongoing. Numerous students have been arrested as a result of the demonstrations. In a show of dissent, citizens have left messages on walls in Istanbul demanding the release of arrested students, according to ermenihaber.

According to the Turkish opposition newspaper Gazete Duvar, law enforcement agencies have located and arrested five students who wrote on the walls. They expressed solidarity with imprisoned students by stating: "Freedom for the university, the country, and Shilan (one of the detained students)," "We have promised them freedom," and "The university is the homeland."

It should be noted that the primary demand of the protesters is the resignation of the rector appointed from outside and the holding of elections. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused the students and faculty who have organized protests against the rector's appointment of terrorism.

Following mass arrests on the evening of February 2, students and their supporters continue their protest actions not only in Istanbul and Ankara but also in other cities across the country and abroad. Among their supporters on social media are also Armenian intellectuals from Istanbul.

It is important to mention that there are thousands of imprisoned and convicted opposition students in Turkey. As of 2019, their number stood at 36,300.

Bogazici University is one of the region's prestigious institutions, with around 16,000 students. The medium of instruction at Bogazici is English. The university is renowned as one of the country’s most progressive educational establishments. The newly appointed rector has stated that he aims to include the university among the world's top 100 universities in the near future.