The vigil protest against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's appointment of a trustee rector to Boğaziçi University continues on its 100th day.

The protests launched on January 4 against the appointment of Melih Bulu as rector have been continuing for 100 days.

The vigil promoting autonomy of universities has received support from various circles of the Turkish society, including intellectuals, writers and politicians.

Boğaziçi academics have supported the students’ protests and turned their backs on the office of the trustee rector every week as an act of protest. The demands of the protesters have been suppressed by the police and the judiciary. Hundreds of people have been detained, threatened, or subjected to police violence during demonstrations or home raids.

On the 100th day of the vigil protest, the academicians gathered at the South Campus Square and turned their backs on the rectorate building.

Students also participated in the press release of the academics. Industrial Engineering lecturer Kuban Altınel pointed out that while graduates and members of the press were denied access to the vicinity of the university, the heavily armed police patrol the area.

Altınel said that appointment of trustees destroyed the autonomy of universities and hundreds of students were detained and dozens of them were arrested during the protests.

Altınel said: “The coordinator of ‘Sexual Harassment Prevention Commission’, which is an example for all the universities in the country, was forced to take an unpaid leave on the grounds of financial reasons. The activities of the commission have been left into the hands of the appointed vice-rector who is not an expert in his field. The commission was made de facto dysfunctional.”

"The decision to demolish the lodging building of the faculty members was notified to us via e-mails without consulting any commission of our university like all other decisions."

Altınel emphasized that they will continue to struggle and voice their democratic demands despite all the unlawfulness and called for solidarity against those appointed in all areas of life.