QISA Solidarity Statement on Melih Bulu, the Bogazici LGBTI+ Studies Club, and increasing LGBTQI+phobia in Turkey
QISA solidarity statement on Melih Bulu, the Boğaziçi LGBTI+ Studies Club, and increasing LGBTQI+phobia in Turkey
KAYYUMA NAKKA!
We, the members of the Queer International Student Assembly (QISA) of the Graduate Institute Geneva (IHEID), are following the reports of police violence against student-led democratic protests, as well as of smear campaigns towards LGBTIQ+ individuals with great concern.
We find the role played by trustee Rector Melih Bulu and certain high-level bureaucrats of the Republic of Turkey to be especially distressing.
Boğaziçi University, a partner university of the Graduate Institute, has always had good relations with IHEID.
We fear that the undemocratic appointment of trustee rector Melih Bulu and the increasing LGBTIQ+-phobia will endanger the academic independence of Boğaziçi University as well as the safety of queer students on its campuses.
We would like to issue a reminder that universities should act as autonomous institutions producing independent, unbiased academic knowledge.
Therefore, the top-down appointment of government-aligned politician Melih Bulu as rector of the university constitutes a grave breach of academic autonomy.
This also goes for the overnight opening of two new faculties (Faculty of Law and Faculty of Communication) without consulting any member of Boğaziçi University.
Furthermore, we are keenly aware of the increasingly LGBTIQ+-phobic environment in Turkey, including in policy-making.
In light of this, the illegitimate closure of Boğaziçi University LGBTI+ Studies Student Club (BULGBTI+) and scapegoating of queer students are deeply concerning, configuring themselves as violations of human rights.
Boğaziçi University openly states that the university “treats every student fairly and honestly without discrimination and prejudice due to religion, language, race, ethnic origin, opinion, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, and similar characteristics.”
By its own regulations, the University’s LGBTIQ+ students cannot be targeted based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Furthermore, according to international treaties to which it is a party, Turkey guarantees equal treatment of all its citizens without discrimination (UDHR, Article 7; Istanbul Convention, Article 4).
We call upon Boğaziçi University and the government of Turkey to remain faithful to their moral and ethical principles and to international human rights treaties.
We stress that LGBTIQ+ rights are human rights and as such cannot be violated under any circumstances.
QISA stands with Boğaziçi University members and LGBTIQ+ students targeted by authorities. We, the students at the Graduate Institute, affirm this QISA-led campaign in full agreement with the following demands.
We demand:
The release of 9 students being held in jail;
The release of 25 students placed under house arrest;
The respect and guarantee of the right to protest and freedom of expression;
The respect and guarantee of academic freedom and autonomy;
The re-establishment of BULGBTI+, or promptly demand halting the execution of its closure;
The resignation of trustee rector Melih Bulu and the members of the university executive board appointed by Bulu.
We do not accept, we will not give up, we shall not look down.
KAYYUMA NAKKA!
QISA
**We are happy to announce that we received a full student body endorsement, and GISA will be sharing this endorsement as well!**
***
Signed:
Delcia Orona (Geneva, Switzerland)
Bram Barnes (Geneva, Switzerland)
Cihangir Can (Geneva, Switzerland)
Yunus Emre Bilgili (Istanbul, Turkey)
Tobias Drilling (Geneva, Switzerland)
Laura Nowzohour (Geneva, Switzerland)
Alexa-Rae Burk (President of GISA) (Geneva, Switzerland)
Massimiliano Masini (Geneva, Switzerland)
Brady Nevins (Geneva, Switzerland)
Kevin Lehne (Frankfurt, Germany)
Matheus Fontes (Geneva, Switzerland)
Tanya Kini (Geneva, Switzerland)
Teodora Cakarmis (Geneva, Switzerland)
Melissa Magalhaes (Miami, USA)
Alexa Sydor-Czartorysky (Geneva, Switzerland)
Elin Berg (Stockholm, Sweden)
Alison Eddy (Geneva, Switzerland)
Lillian Robb (Geneva, Switzerland)
Clare Maxwell (Geneva, Switzerland)
Nivedita Joon (Geneva, Switzerland)
Alice Maréchal (Geneva, Switzerland)
Conrad Lude (Geneva, Switzerland)
Phaedra Vakouli (Athens, Greece)
Kavya Bajaj (Geneva, Switzerland)
Dena Kirpalani (Geneva, Switzerland)
Emilie Thévenoz (Geneva, Switzerland)
Kawtar Ghandi (Geneva, Switzerland)
Iida Lehto (Helsinki, Finland)
Jose Aleman (Geneva, Switzerland)
Gabriela Lacerda Zechin (Porto Alegre, Brazil)
Monideepa Mukhejee (Geneva, Switzerland)
Gauri Saxena (Geneva, Switzerland)
Jhilam Gangopadhyay (Geneva, Switzerland)
Anu Karippal (Geneva, Switzerland)
Génesis Luigi (Mexico City, Mexico)
Eva Guerreiro (Geneva, Switzerland)
Gaia Grasselli (Geneva, Switzerland)
Madeline Dement (Geneva, Switzerland)
Juan Jose Ruiz (Geneva, Switzerland)
Laure Burg (Switzerland)
Silvia Ecclesia (Geneva, Switzerland)
Nathalia Turincev (Switzerland)
Gaya Raddadi (Geneva, Switzerland)
Rivana Cerullo (Switzerland)
Mariana Soto (Geneva, Switzerland)
Alana Carlson (Geneva, Switzerland)
Chiara Moslow (Geneva, Switzerland)
Danilo Borghi (Geneva, Switzerland)
Vishesh Guru (Geneva, Switzerland)
Shilan Masrour (Geneva, Switzerland)
Abel Vijayakumar (Geneva, Switzerland)
Sophie Heigel (Geneva, Switzerland)
Samantha Groulx (Geneva, Switzerland)
Sam Nelson (Switzerland)
Manuel Leon (Geneva, Switzerland)
Arveen Sodhi (Geneva, Switzerland)
Lambros Syrmos (Geneva, Switzerland)
Mason Szlapak (Geneva, Switzerland)
Maria Jose Mancera (San Cristobal de las Casas Mexico)
Laurent Genthon-Neury (Geneva, Switzerland)
Manon Beury (Geneva, Switzerland)
Want to learn more about this issue? Check out these important links:
New York Times: Prestigious Istanbul University Fights Erdogan's Reach
Kaos GL: Melih Bulu shut off the Boğaziçi LGBTI+ Studies Club!