Boycott Of Schools Begins Across Turkey

A boycott of schools was launched on Feb. 13 upon a call from the Eğitim-Sen teachers' union and a number of Alevi associations to protest the government's recent education system implementations, including on compulsory religion classes.

Protesters, consisting  of union and association members, teachers, parents and students, gathered in front of schools and marched in several cities across Turkey, including Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir, İzmir, Edirne, Artvin and Antalya.

Police forces have been dispatched to the schools where people gathered for the boycott, while some of the school administrations locked the doors to prevent teachers and students from leaving the buildings.

Around 10 people have reportedly been detained by police at a middle school in Istanbul's Gülsuyu neighborhood. Police also intervened against a crowd in front of a school in the Çankaya district of capital Ankara and detained some people, according to reports.

Eğitim-Sen and the Alevi associations, including the Alevi-Bektaşi Federation (ABF), the Alevi Associations Federation (ADF), the Alevi Foundations Federation (AVF) and the Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (PSAKD), had also staged a rally on February 8 in Istanbul against compulsory religion classes and the allegedly increasing influence of religion in the education system.

(PHOTO) - Istanbul