Principal Bans Seniors from Campus Amid Student Protests

Teacher suspended for “encouraging students to protest” as controversial moves against youth demonstrations deepen

A fresh wave of controversy has hit Türkiye’s project schools, as students continue protesting the exclusion of experienced teachers from permanent staff positions. One of the most striking recent examples occurred at Eyüpsultan Anatolian High School in Istanbul.

In a move that has sparked criticism, the school’s principal, Serkan Akgöl, sent a voice message via WhatsApp to 12th-grade class representatives on Sunday, April 13, 2025, telling them not to come to school.

“You are on leave for one week. You will not come to school,” the principal said in the recording, which was shared by students. The following day, 12th-grade students who came to school were denied entry by administration.

Teacher Suspended for Supporting Student Protest

The crackdown extended beyond students. A teacher, Hasan Koçali, who had openly supported the student demonstrations, was suspended by order of the district governor’s office.

According to the suspension request submitted by District Director of National Education Zeliha Yıldız, Koçali was accused of:

• Being “in a state of protest,”

• Refusing to attend classes,

• Participating in demonstrations using “various materials,”

• Ignoring warnings from school administrators,

• “Encouraging students to hold sit-ins, organize marches, and chant slogans.”

The document also stated that Koçali’s continued presence posed a risk to the school’s “climate of peace” and claimed his suspension was necessary “for the integrity of the ongoing investigation and the smooth continuation of educational processes.”

This incident is part of a broader controversy surrounding project schools, which have seen an increasing number of experienced educators removed from staff without explanation, sparking unrest among both students and teachers nationwide.