Across the nation, all eyes are on university presidents as students continue to protest the violence committed by the Israeli armed forces against Palestine. Following the controversial de-encampment and arrest of 26 students in April, university president Radenka Maric has made yet another alarming choice. Just three weeks ago, UConn hosted Mehmet Naci İnci, current rector of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. Advertised as a potential partnership for education and research, this rings the alarm for supporters of academic freedom.
Boğaziçi University has been making headlines since 2021 for the violent repression of students and faculty protesting the appointment of former rector Melih Bulu by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Before Bulu’s direct appointment, the university rector was an elected office. Controversy stems from Bulu’s past in weapons manufacturing and as a politician in the right- wing Justice and Development Party (AKP), which Erdoğan co-founded in 2001. Many consider this appointment process a threat to the academic freedom and the integrity of the prestigious institution. Protestors demanded that free and democratic elections return to the university, which was met with mass arrests, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. LGBT students who raised a rainbow flag were arrested, called “perverts” by AKP interior minister and denounced by Erdoğan, who likened the protestors to “terrorists” for their participation in the demonstration.
After six months of protests, Naci İnci replaced Bulu as the presidentially-appointed rector of Boğaziçi, despite a 95% vote of no confidence from faculty. Once appointed, Naci İnci fired three democratically elected deans for supporting the demonstrations, contributing to campus tensions. In 2022, the Scholars at Risk Network condemned Naci İnci’s actions and “remind[ed] Turkish state authorities of their obligations under national and international law to respect academic freedom and institutional autonomy and call[ed] on them to demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to promoting and protecting the same.” At the time this letter was written, more than 600 students had been arrested. Protests against Naci İnci are ongoing. Once ranked in the top ten for student satisfaction, Boğaziçi’s rating fell over 60 placements in the last five years.
Turkish President Erdoğan, who has been hand-picking his political allies to lead universities, has also repeatedly denied the Armenian genocide, during which an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians were systematically displaced and murdered by the Turk government. Academics were among the first to be rounded up by the regime. In 2008, Erdoğan spoke publicly about the atrocity, stating, “We did not commit a crime therefore we do not need to apologize.” President Biden’s public recognition of the Armenian genocide resulted in criticism from the Turkish leader, who is responsible for doubling Turkey’s trade with Russia in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine.
Quick to denounce the violence against Ukraine, UConn president Radenka Maric has been scrutinized for her silence on the violence against Palestine and a series of controversial new policies that students say are a targeted response to Pro-Palestinian activism. Maric claims the university is “committed to inclusion with emotional intelligence in benefiting the greater good.” Since she took office in 2022, students have expressed serious doubt about this commitment, hosting frequent rallies opposing her decisions as university president.
We did not commit a crime therefore we do not need to apologize.
Mehmet Naci İnci, current rector of Boğaziçi University
Most recently, she has been accused of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, receiving negative attention for her role in the arrest of 26 peaceful protestors. Despite the University Senate passing a resolution in support of dropping the charges against the “UConn 26,” Maric has maintained her silence. Another demonstration took place outside Gulley Hall on Monday, September 16. Students chanted “meet with us,” after weeks of attempting to schedule meetings with the president. Unfortunately, Maric remains unreachable to the students she is responsible for representing.
While students continue to demand a conversation with the UConn president, Maric has been busy fostering relationships with other repressive university leaders. In a LinkedIn post, UConn provost and vice president of academic affairs Ann D’Alleva boasts that hosting Naci İnci promises “many exciting opportunities to collaborate on education and research.” It’s strange to advertise a partnership with a contentious leader like Naci İnci amidst continued coverage of student demonstrations and repression on UConn’s own campus. What makes this even worse is how welcoming President Maric is to opponents of academic freedom. She also seems to have no issue taking inspiration from a leader appointed by a party that is infamous for genocide denial.
UConn prides itself on being a diverse community and considers itself a champion of academic opportunity. A collaboration like this threatens to undermine these ideals and points to a substantial disconnect between the actions of university officials and student’s interests. Students are left wondering: what will it take to have their voices heard? Perhaps more sinister, they wonder how far university officials will go to silence them.
Excellent reporting. Thank you for sharing all this. It’s such an insidious thing to think our administration is so willing to shake hands with another administration that has no respect for its students.
This writer’s bias couldn’t be more clear. Journalism is about unbiased, factual reporting, which this writer does not understand. It reeks of an opinion piece. Do better
This was published in the opinion section, so yes it is an opinion piece. But it also draws thoughtful comparisons and warns of the implications of this partnership. I think the perspective was needed. I have not seen this visit talked about
Great reporting! Proud of the Daily Campus team for their continued dedication to keeping the spotlight on these decisions!