On May 28, 2025, security guards forcibly dispersed students protesting at Yildiz Technical University.

The students had gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the Gezi Park protests, a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey that began in May 2013 against a wide range of concerns, including freedom of the press, of expression, and of assembly. Videos shared on X show that the students began to walk towards one of the gate entrances, and security forces intervened by shoving and pushing the students.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the prevention of an on-campus event and the use of force against students peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly – conduct that is expressly protected under international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Turkey is a party. University authorities have a responsibility to refrain from interfering in the peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom, freedom of expression, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://t24.com.tr/haber/yildiz-teknik-universitesi-ogrencilerinin-gezi-anmasina-ozel-guvenlik-mudahalesi,1241864
https://www.birgun.net/haber/yildiz-teknik-universitesi-ogrencilerinden-gezi-anmasi-626548
https://x.com/BirGun_Gazetesi/status/1927680851640209533