Students arrested during rally in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Police in Istanbul used batons and tear gas Saturday (December 4th) to disperse students protesting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to local media reports, around 50 students were arrested after a group three times that size tried to enter Erdogan’s office as he was speaking to university rectors. The students opposed the meeting because Erdogan is seeking to reform higher education in light of the economic crisis. Their anger has been growing since last month, when 18 students received suspended sentences of 15 months in prison each for an “unauthorised demonstration” during Erdogan’s 2008 visit to the Istanbul Technical University. (Hurriyet, AFP, NTV, Anadolu news agency – 04/12/10)