Parents protest demolition of Fatih College wall

Parents of Fatih College students gathered on Wednesday to protest the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s destruction school’s wall. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
Parents of Fatih College students gathered on Wednesday to protest the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s destruction school’s wall. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: October 9, 2014

Parents from Merter Fatih College gathered in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building on Wednesday to protest the demolition the wall of the school as well as a security cabin in the school’s courtyard by municipal teams in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The municipality, which is run by the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party), had earlier decided to construct a road through the courtyard of the school, which is affiliated with the Hizmet movement — one of the largest faith-based communities in Turkey.

Teams from the municipality arrived at the school around midnight and rapidly demolished one of the walls surrounding the courtyard and a security cabin nearby. Sources said the municipality did not send any written warning to the school administration about the demolition plans beforehand. What was more unusual was that the demolition took place at midnight and during Eid — an official holiday in Turkey.

Lawyer Fikret Duran said he will file a law suit against the municipality and demand that the municipality compensate the financial loss incurred to the school by the demolition.

The school’s parent-teacher association head, Nezihe Ehli, said schools are the places where the next generation is shaped. These institutions must be cared for as they are home to some of the best students in the city, Ehli added. Ehli also noted that Fatih College’s Merter campus had outstanding successes between 2005 and 2014, having champions in high schools entry exams, national and international scientific, sportive and cultural Olympiads and many awards from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). The school has been open for 20 years.

Neşe Solgun, a parent of a child at Fatih College, said the students will not be secure if there is no wall around the school and that it is meaningless to build a road through the middle of the school. “Why are they doing this work at this time?,” Solgun asked, saying that the municipality purposefully started the demolition now and not during summer vacation.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 8, 2014

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Mali education minister lauds teachers in nation’s Turkish schools

Mali’s Minister of Higher Education and Research Messaoud Ould Mohamed Lahbib: The Hizmet movement, which drives the philosophy behind Turkish schools in the country, does not work like a corporate organization. “This is why I am sure that God will give, and is giving, rewards to Turks,” he said. “The sacrifice being made by teachers who work at Turkish schools in his country is worthy of high praise, adding that he believes no other nation would be willing to make such a great contribution to Mali,” he said.

Black propaganda websites granted legal shield

Circles close to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government have been accused of conducting a large-scale black propaganda war against the Hizmet movement, which was inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen; media outlets close to the movement; and journalists critical of the government.

Criminal complaint filed against media organizations publishing Gülen’s speeches

An organization called the Law and Democracy Foundation which was established by lawyer Mehmet Ali Canlı, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) hopeful in the June 7 general election, on Wednesday filed a criminal complaint against media organizations that publish the speeches of Fethullah Gülen, a renowned Islamic scholar.

Courts order corrections to gov’t media stories on Hizmet

Several courts have ruled against untruthful stories published or broadcast by media institutions close to the government about the Hizmet movement, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused of trying to undermine his government, but most newspapers and stations have not published the corrections as they should according to the rulings.

A Letter To The Free World | Hidayet Karaca

Hidayet Karaca, an executive with a leading Turkish TV network, has been in prison since 14 December last year on charges of leading a terrorist group.

Dr. Esposito: The Gulen Movement Introduces Turkey To The World

AYTEN ÇİFTÇİ İSTANBUL – Oct.9, 2011 John L. Esposito, an American Professor of Islam, praised the Gulen Movement and the Turkish Schools operating around the world. He said: “ They have one goal. That is to enlighten the world with education. This is why we need the Gülen Movement in this age.” Dr. John L. […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Nigeria: Turkish international college constructs 90 hand pumps, boreholes in local communities

I see real patriotism in the Gülen movement

Why couldn’t Bozdağ talk about the parallel structure?

Would you buy me a pair of eyes on Valentine’s Day?

Parents of Nigerian-Turkish International College students decry call to close schools

Dutch politicians outraged over new “Gulen-List”

Nigeria demands Turkey’s apology over ‘unjustifiable’ students deportation in coup crackdown

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News