Chaos at Hacettepe: Masked Group Wields Machetes Against Protesters

Tensions erupted at Hacettepe University’s Beytepe Campus in Ankara after members of the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) youth wing, the Grey Wolves (Ülkü Ocakları), held a “handover ceremony” on campus. The event, reportedly attended by non-students, featured banners of MHP founder Alparslan Türkeş and was met with protests from university students.

Protest Leads to Violent Confrontation

As students gathered in front of the campus cafeteria to protest the political ceremony, a confrontation broke out.
According to eyewitnesses, a group of masked individuals emerged from Nacho Café, located opposite the Faculty of Literature, and attacked the students with machetes and glass bottles.

Videos circulating on social media showed the attackers wearing masks and carrying blades, while panicked students ran for safety. Multiple students were reportedly injured during the assault.

Security Accused of Standing By During Attack

Campus security officers have come under fire after footage revealed their inaction during the attack.
One video showed a masked man walking alongside a security guard, discreetly hiding a machete behind his back as they moved together — prompting outrage among students and alumni.

While university security forces have been known to intervene forcefully in peaceful student protests in the past, witnesses said that during the machete assault, they “stood by and watched.”

Dozens Injured, Campus in Shock

Several students suffered injuries from the machete and bottle attacks, and were treated for cuts and bruises.
Student groups condemned the assault as a “coordinated attack on democratic rights and campus safety”, demanding accountability from university administration and security officials.

MHP Official’s Provocative Post: “The Campuses Belong to Us”

Amid the public backlash, Ankara Ülkü Ocakları Vice Provincial Chair for Universities, Kayra Utku Sürenler, posted a photo of himself with others in front of Nacho Café — the same location from which the masked group reportedly emerged.
He captioned the image:

“We said it before: From Hacettepe to DTCF, from METU to Cebeci — the campuses belong to us, the idealists.
This flag will not fall; not while a single wolf remains alive.”

The post has drawn widespread condemnation online, with critics calling it an open threat against students and a display of impunity amid escalating campus violence.

University Administration Yet to Respond

As of Monday evening, Hacettepe University’s administration had not issued a formal statement regarding the incident.
Students are demanding an independent investigation, the suspension of security personnel involved, and legal action against the attackers.