Thousands Attend Boycott Of Schools Across Turkey

A boycott of schools was launched on February 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 400 people attended a march organized by Eğitim-Sen in Istanbul's Kadıköy as a part of the boycott.

Eğitim-Sen official Turgut Yokuş said they would never allow the education system to go under the complete control of the government, calling on the authorities to end policies that polarize society and halt practices that are "against scientific and secular education."

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.

Police intervention in İzmir

Police fired water cannons on protesters who gathered on a simultaneous call for a boycott of schools by the Joint June Movement (BHH) in the Aegean province of İzmir.

The İzmir Governor's Office notified the provincial education directorate to warn that the personnel and students who attended the "Boycott for Secular and Scientific Education" organized by the BHH would face disciplinary proceedings.

İzmir Governor Mustafa Toprak released a statement saying the office had moved to take measures "to protect students from negative thoughts and environments."

Meanwhile, Onur Kılıç, a member of the BHH and the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), who was detained by police on Feb. 12 on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested by a court on Feb. 13.

A prosecutor sent Kılıç to the courthouse on Feb. 13, demanding his arrest despite his refusal to give a testimony.

In his testimony to the İzmir 5th Court of Peace, Kılıç denied that he shouted a slogan which can be considered a crime, saying he only attended a march to protest against compulsory religion classes and the transformation of some high schools into religious vocational imam hatip schools.

(PHOTO) - Istanbul