‘One man's stronghold will come down… Stand up, Boğaziçi…’

* Photo and video: Youth Movement Coordination

Click to read the article in Turkish

The protests against the appointment of Prof. Melih Bulu as the new rector of Boğaziçi University by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are still going on both at the campuses of the university and on social media.

The fact that Prof. Melih Bulu was appointed from outside the university's community without any electoral process and that he had been a candidate for nomination to run in the 2015 general elections from the AKP sparked harsh criticisms and protests among both the students and faculty members of Boğaziçi, one of the most prestigious universities of Turkey.

The protests of students and academics are also supported by other students and academics as well as artists. Most recently, the Youth Movement Coordination has prepared a rap song titled "Boğaziçi Hür" (Boğaziçi is Free) with the support of Rapper Fuat Ergin.

Ergin has tweeted, "Last week, students from Boğaziçi University contacted me and wanted me to support them to make their voices heard. And this song has come up. My sleeves are always rolled up for the future of our country and for our young people. #ICannotStaySilent"

The lyrics of the song roughly translate as follows:

"Getting their strength from their anger,
Every single young person, every subject of this movement,
Brings the future into existence
Raise your voice against the trustee
It smells to high heaven
Inside, it is rotten

"Don't let the thorny, stony roads deter you
Raise your voice
Raise you voice
Freedom doesn't taste like sugar candy
Winding roads cannot beat our will

"Struggle, action, future is ours,
Trustee, imposition and pressure is yours

"Our university, drawing its strength from its youth
Ihwanists facing us, we don't know staying silent

"Don't eat your heart out
Stand up, Boğaziçi
Our patience has burst out
Boğaziçi
With a lump in our throat
Boğaziçi
We won't turn away from our path
Boğaziçi

"The story of the same boat is a lie, friends
Thieves run like rats in the end

"Our voice spreads like waves
While the mouths of wisdom's enemies are in spits

"Yes, this is a path of fight
The crow scratching the eyes out
We don't give up the truth, our banners in our hands
This struggle is neither the first nor the last
Its fire will burn
The one man's stronghold will come down

"Don't eat your heart out
Stand up, Boğaziçi
Our patience has burst out
Boğaziçi
With a lump in our throat
Boğaziçi
We won't turn away from our path
Boğaziçi

"I say Boğaziçi
You say free
Boğaziçi is free
Boğaziçi is free

"I say Boğaziçi
You say free
Boğaziçi is free
Boğaziçi is free

"We don't turn away from our path
Who is the hope of this land
We, the young."

(DŞ/SD)