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Police detain academics, students protesting gov’t purges in Turkish universities

At least four academics in Ankara and six students in İstanbul were detained on Thursday by police during demonstrations held to protest a post-coup purge carried out by the government at Turkish universities.

Academics Nuriye Gülmen, Acun Karadağ, Semih Özakça and Veli Saçılık, who were dismissed from their jobs at universities and educational institutions in Turkey by government decrees, were detained in Ankara during the 100th day of purges.

Meanwhile, six students were detained in İstanbul while some 150 people, mostly students, gathered near İstanbul University’s Beyazıt campus and chanted slogans against the latest government decree that has left 330 more academics unemployed as part of a post-coup witch hunt.

After the group read a press statement, police intervened when the protesters tried to enter the university.

Since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) declared a state of emergency days after a failed coup attempt on July 15 of last year, at least 7,316 academics have been dismissed by government decrees over their alleged ties to the coup plotters.

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