Campus unites for the imprisoned students: “This seat is reserved for our friend”
Students at Yıldız Technical, İstanbul, and Boğaziçi Universities are protesting the arrest of their classmates: leaving empty seats marked “This seat is reserved for our imprisoned friend.”
Across three major Turkish universities Yıldız Technical, İstanbul University, and Boğaziçi University students are pushing back against the arrests of their peers. In exam halls, students left empty chairs with notes that read “This seat is reserved for our imprisoned friend,” highlighting the ongoing detentions tied to demonstrations and political expression.
Students at Yıldız Technical University and İstanbul University Faculty of Letters left seats empty in exam rooms in protest of their fellow student’s imprisonment. To express their reaction to the arrest, students posted signs on desks reading “This seat is reserved for our imprisoned friend.”
Meanwhile, Boğaziçi University students protested for their classmates who were arrested alongside İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, as well as those detained during subsequent demonstrations.
During the protest held on campus for their fellow student who is currently in custody, Boğaziçi University students declared: “It is clear that the one-man regime, which claims its legitimacy stems from democratic elections, has lost all grounds for legitimacy.”
It was reported that security forces blocked students from leaving the campus and allegedly threatened them with detention.
Making a statement, the students said the following:
“As the process following İmamoğlu’s arrest enters its third week, the unlawfulness of the trustee regime continues unabated. At this point, over 300 students, along with union representatives, artists, workers, and citizens exercising their constitutional rights, have been arrested. It is clear that the one-man regime, which claims its legitimacy derives from democratic elections, has no remaining grounds for legitimacy. It is equally clear that all these efforts to suppress and intimidate are a reflection of a regime that has abandoned all democratic norms and is driven by the fear of losing power.”
In their statement, the students listed the names of their imprisoned classmates, emphasising their solidarity and support for them.
