Turkish police detained 97 students on Tuesday at Istanbul’s Bogazici University during a protest against a campus event featuring Islamic preacher Nureddin Yildiz, known for his controversial views on early marriage. The event was organized by a student club at the university.
According to Istanbul Governor Davut Gul, the students were arrested after attempting to breach a police barricade. During the clashes, 13 police officers were injured after falling into a five-metre (15-foot) construction pit.
Bogazici University has been a center of student and faculty protests in recent years, largely opposing what they describe as increasing government interference in academic institutions. The latest protest also comes amid wider unrest following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival of President Tayyip Erdogan.
