Turkish Court Jails 14 University Students Over Massive 2021 Protests

Bogazici University students hold anti-government placards and shout slogans during a demonstration against their new rector Melih Bulu, in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

The court handed down another one year and six months to student Berke Gok for "damaging public property," while giving an additional sentence of 14 months in jail to student Eftelya Koyuncu for "insulting a public official."

Other students were sentenced to one year's jail for violating the law on Meetings and Demonstrayions.

The judge did not allow the students and lawyers to defend themselves.

"The judge put down in the minutes: 'The lawyers did not present their arguments against the final opinion and waived their rights to defend their clients," the Media and Law Studies Association, MLSA, which followed the trial, wrote on Twitter.

Thousands of students, academics, activists and opposition party members organised protests in 2021 in Istanbul and other cities over the appointment of a new rector at Bogazici University.

They were violently dispersed by police several times and hundreds of students were detained.

The protests sparked a resistance movement to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing influence and pressure on universities and academia.

After months of protests, Professor Melih Bulu, the first rector appointed by Erdogan, resigned in July, 2021. However, a month later, Erdogan appointed another rector, Professor Naci Inci, by presidential decree.

Students and academics have not recognised the appointed rector and have continued protests.

Following a failed coup attempt in 2016, Erdogan's government cancelled rectoral elections by presidential decree. He has since appointed rectors himself. Critics say...