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

Afghan-Turkish schools win six medals at int’l olympiad

Afghan-Turkish schools, established by Turkish entrepreneurs affiliated with Hizmet Movement, won six medals – four golden and two silver – at an international olympiad.

France Urges Turkey to Respect Rights in Aftermath of Coup

France’s foreign minister urged Turkey on Monday to respect fundamental rights and freedoms in the aftermath of the country’s failed military coup, saying democracy is the best defense against those trying to defy it.

Turkey’s Erdogan and July 15 coup

Like many autocratic leaders, Erdogan was quick to blame members of opposition and  sympathizers of Gulen Movement  for the coup attempt. He particularly singled out the United States-based Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen as the mastermind of the coup, even when it is on record that the highly-respected cleric publicly condemned the coup when it was still on.

Nigerian vice-ambassador demands more Turkish schools in his country

“Students, parents and our state are all very much pleased with these schools. We have a population of 170 million and the young generation constitutes a large part of it. So, we demand more of these schools. They are empowering the Nigerian education system as well. They are in demand. Their graduates are able to study at leading universities in Turkey. Affiliates of these schools are operating not only in my country but also around the world.”

Turkey, The great purge – Four lives upturned by Erdogan’s ‘cleansing.’ Episode 2 – Mehmet

Following the July 15, 2016, coup attempt, Erdogan promised to “cleanse” Turkey of a “virus” that has plagued its state institutions. That cleansing has been primarily directed at two organisations: the PKK and the Gulen movement. But the crackdown on both organisations began long before the July coup attempt.

Another woman detained on coup charges one day after giving birth

Fatma Türkmen, who gave birth to a baby in Ankara on Monday, was reportedly detained on Tuesday over alleged links to the Gülen group.

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

Are there autonomous Hizmet groups?

Afghan Parents Complain to UN Over Detention of Turkish Teachers

Turkish Airlines discriminates against critical newspapers on planes

Police rescue 8 students, staff of Nigeria-Turkish International School from kidnappers

Egypt Today’s interview with Fethullah Gülen, home sickness and fabricated coup

Turks mobilize to join solidarity campaign for Bank Asya

Alevi, Sunni businessmen will finance joint prayer complex

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News