Frequent price hikes for cafeteria meals at Boğaziçi University have drawn the ire of students. Students gathered in front of the cafeteria at the North Campus to protest the increase in meal prices from 50 to 85 Turkish Liras.
During the protest, organized at the call of the Student Representative Council (ÖTK), students passed through the cafeteria turnstiles without paying. Some students later entered the serving area, put on hairnets, and served food to their peers.
It was reported that a large number of police officers were brought to the campus following the protests, and private security personnel were called in for overtime. As the protests continued, some students were notified that they would face disciplinary investigations.
In emails reportedly sent under the signature of Boğaziçi University Vice Rector Fazıl Önder Sönmez, reference was made to a letter dated October 6 from the Protection and Security Branch Directorate. The letters claimed that it had been determined that the students had engaged in "actions that disrupt" the operation and service flow of the cafeteria. It was also stated that new investigations would be opened if similar actions were repeated.
THE GAP BETWEEN MEAL EXPENSES AND KYK LOANS
Students state that cafeteria prices constitute a significant burden amidst rising living costs. According to calculations reported in the news, a Boğaziçi student's monthly food expenditure exceeds 7,000 TL, while the KYK loan remains at the 4,000 TL level.
Şenol Solum, Organizing Secretary of the Eğitim Sen İstanbul No. 6 Universities Branch, stated that the debate is not just about the latest price hike, noting that transparency and participatory decision-making mechanisms at the university have weakened.
Speaking to Cumhuriyet, Solum stated that in the past, unions were consulted when increases in cafeteria fees were on the agenda, but today there is no such ground for negotiation. Stating that students sometimes only learn about price increases when they scan their cards at the cafeteria, Solum expressed that there is no regular or transparent communication.
For us, a student's access to a sufficient and healthy meal is not a favor or a commercial service, but an inseparable part of the right to public education.
Emphasizing that the security forces dispatched to the campus and the private security personnel called in for overtime also create a public cost, Solum stated that the problem could be solved through dialogue between the students and the university administration.
News Source: 12punto
