Over 40 days have passed since the protests against the appointment of a rector at Boğaziçi University began. The campaign against the government’s plans to establish a women-only university had already begun before these protests and now joins in the efforts to support the Boğaziçi protest.

The hashtag #NoAppointedRectorsNoWomensUniversities (#NeKayyumNeKadınÜniversitesi) is launched on social media by women’s and LGBTI+ organizations and student clubs. This campaign also stands in solidarity with Şilan Delipalta, a university student who was arrested due to her participation in the Boğaziçi protests.

The campaign draws attention to the authoritarian inclinations that underlie both the appointment of the rectors by the President and the foundation of women only universities: “We do not accept appointment of trustees neither to our universities nor to our lives. It is only us who can make decisions regarding our lives and universities. We do not accept your definition of ‘appropriate women’. We stand on the frontlines of the resistance. We will send the appointed trustees away, we will not let you open women only universities!”. The campaign statements also stress the determination of the students to stand by their arrested friend Şilan.

Students suggest that the idea to establish gender segregated universities is also a threat against LGBTI+ students and state “The threats of sexual assault in detention, pressures against the women and LGBTI+s will not deter us. We will not let you establish women’s universities!”.