Turkey's Erdogan ‘packing university with allies,’ say protesting students

Students have been protesting for weeks over the Turkish president's

Students and staff face riot police in a protest against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to appoint Melih Bulu, a businessman with ties to the president's AK Party, as rector at Bogazici University in Istanbul. EPA

Turkish riot police use plastic bullets against demonstrators at Bogazici University, where students and staff object to Mr Erdogan's decision to appoint a rector, bypassing election by academic staff. The president was empowered to make the appointment by a 2016 law. EPA

Demonstrators flee tear gas at Bogazici University, one of Istanbul's most prestigious institutions. Reuters

Protests against the appointment of AK Party loyalist Melih Bulu as rector of Bogazici University by Mr Erdogan have escalated and opponents of the conservative president have become more vocal. Police made dozens of arrests in Ankara, the Turkish capital. EPA

Protestors at Bogazici University remonstrate with riot police officers. AFP

Confrontation but no violence between a demonstrator and a police office at the Bogazici University protests in Istanbul. EPA

Baris Atay, a Workers' Party of Turkey MP and vocal opponent of Mr Erdogan's AK Party, clashes with police at Bogazici University. AFP

The Turkish government said many of the demonstrators detained at Bogazici University were not from Istanbul. EPA

A lone protester confronts riot police in the streets of Istanbul. AFP

A woman is arrested by police during a protest against the appointment of new Bogazici University rector Melih Bulu. Getty

A protesters rides a motorbike with his dog during a protest in the Kadikoy district in Istanbul. Getty

Turkey's president has ordered the establishment of two new departments in the country's most prestigious university, which has been rocked by weeks of demonstrations protesting his appointment of a new rector with government links.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision, published in the Official Gazette Saturday, says law and communications faculties are to be launched in Bogazici University.

Critics say the establishment of new departments would allow the presidentially appointed rector to staff them with government loyalists.
For over a month, students and faculty have led mostly peaceful protests against the new rector, Melih Bulu, who has links to Mr Erdogan's ruling party.

They are calling for Mr Bulu's resignation and for the university to be allowed to elect its own president.
In an open letter to Mr Erdogan, protesting Bogazici students called the decision to open new departments intimidation and "petty tricks."
"Your attempts to pack our university with your own political militants is the symptom of the political crisis you have fallen into," the letter said.
Police have detained hundreds of demonstrators at the university and in solidarity protests elsewhere, some taken away following raids of their homes.

Most were later released.
Top government officials have said terrorist groups are provoking the protests, and Mr Erdogan has called the protesting students terrorists.

Istanbul governor's office press statements have listed detention numbers with alleged links to outlawed leftist and Kurdish militant groups.
Officials from the United States, the United Nations and the European Union have criticised Turkey's handling of the protests as well as a series of homophobic comments that were made by Mr Erdogan and other officials while denouncing the demonstrations.
With the same order, the president opened new faculties in several universities, closed down some others and appointed 11 rectors elsewhere.
The students in their letter said they knew its publication would likely result in criminal complaints, including for insulting the president, but they vowed to continue speaking out and protesting.