After India, Turkey dissents global criticism on domestic matters

After India, Turkey dissents global criticism on domestic matters

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n Thursday, Turkey expressed its disapproval of international criticism of its breakdown on protests led by students raising their rage and opposition against appointment of government loyalists to head Istanbul's top University. The country warned other countries to stay out of their domestic affairs as that would only fuel the spark.

The protests against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of Melih Bulu, an academic who once ran for parliament as a candidate for Erdogan’s party have been spreading across the nation since Jan 1. The protestors are demanding Bulu's resignation as University's rector and enabling the university to choose its own president. Some protests even resulted in violent clashes between police and demonstrators which ended up on conviction of hundreds. Erdogan promised to instill reforms for strengthening democracy.

This statement made headlines after the officials from the United States, the United Nations and the European Unions took a dig at Turkey's methodology of handling the protests and criticised the anti-LGBT comments that were issued by Erdogan and other officials while addressing the demonstrations. On Thursday, a statement was issued by Turkey's Foreign Ministry defending Turkish Security Forces' actions, declaring that they were in response to attempts by terrorist's organisations to provoke the protests. "The ones preaching us of democracy must see their administration in the mirror of self analysis. Any intervention in Turkey's internal matters wouldn't be entertained," said the Ministry.

Tensions drifted the peace apart when a group of students was arrested over a poster at Bogazici University depicting LGBT rights' flags furling over Islamic sacred site. The students were detained on grounds of spreading disharmony and hurting religious sentiments. The UN Human Rights officer suggested Turkey by taking to their twitter handles to stop violent retaliation on protestors, condemning "homophobic comments on LGBTQ community which is instigating discrimination and mistrust."

European Parliament legislator Nacho Sanchez Amor also dissented violence and mass detentions, questioning "Is this the propaganda of democratic reforms?" Police announced detention of 528 people out of which 498 have been released. Of all in custody, 22 people have links with terrorist organisations.