On October 17, 2025, police arrested more than 30 students at protesting a new cafeteria policy at Hacettepe University.
On October 8, the university’s rector introduced a new policy require students to reserve cafeteria meals in advance, or to pay more for their meal and receive a smaller portion. On October 17, students protested at the cafeteria, jumping over turnstiles to enter it and serving food to themselves before marching to the rectors office. A group of students who had gathered to protest the government’s proposed 11th Judicial Reform Package, which would criminalize the expression of LGBTQIA identities, same-sex relationships, and gender-affirming care, later joined the protest at the cafeteria. Police entered campus and detained approximately 38 students. Most students were released later that night. Eight students were required to give statements at Ankara’s Sıhhiye Courthouse before being released. Some students reported being subjected to ill-treatment by police. Two students were reportedly hospitalized,
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the forcible arrest of students in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Türkiye is a party. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://bianet.org/haber/hacettepe-universitesinde-polis-siddeti-en-az-30-gozalti-312642
https://halktv.com.tr/gundem/hacettepede-yemekhane-protestosu-cok-sayida-gozalti-980485h