Two Turkish students were hospitalised on Monday after being beaten in police custody, Arti Gerçek reported.
The two students were protesting outside Bogazici University rector’s office when police intervened to break up the larger group. Once in custody, the two students were attacked and beaten by police officers to the point where they had to be hospitalised.
In a set of tweets posted by Meydan Gazetesi, one student was reportedly hit so hard by a truncheon that he required surgery. Another student had his jaw broken in police custody.
Protests over the appointment of a pro-government rector by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 4 resulted in protests by Bogazici’s students and faculty. For four weeks now, the protests have continued despite violent response by the police officers.
The authorities’ response has been decisively heavy handed. Over 150 students were arrested according to the Istanbul Governor’s office and lawyers for the students said that they were prevented by police officers from even giving water to their clients. Video from the protests even showed officers taking up positions on rooftops armed with sniper rifles.
Opposition lawmakers from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) were also filmed being blocked from getting in touch with the protesting students.
The United States government has also expressed ‘’concern’’ over statements from senior Turkish officials on the arrest of students at Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University, a State Department spokesperson told Ahval in a statement on Monday.
Source: Ahval
