Hate Crime

Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Minister of Youth and Sports

07
Sep

INFORMATION OF INCIDENT

–        Date : 7 September 2016 (Date of notification)

–        Location : Ankara/ TÜRKİYE

–        Perpetrator : Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Minister of Youth and Sports

–        Victim : Due to the fact that there are many victims of the incident and it is difficult to identify all of them by name, the case has been examined under the title of “Students who are related or alleged to be involved in the Gülen movement”.

–        Source :  https://www.internethaber.com/kyk-burs-sonuclari-fetoculere-yurt-ve-burs-yok-1713235h.htm

ANALYSIS OF HATE CRIME

–        FACTS

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has announced that students found to be affiliated with the Gülen movement will not be eligible for scholarships.

            –     EVALUATION OF THE CASE UNDER THE TURKISH PENAL CODE

According to article 122 of Turkish Penal Code, anyone who prevents a person from benefiting from a certain service provided to the public due to hatred arising from differences in language, race, nationality, color, gender, disability, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion or sect shall be sentenced to imprisonment from one year to three years.

​​In the aforementioned case, it was stated by the competent authority that the scholarship and dormitory rights of the students would be terminated if they were associated with the Gulen movement. It has also been declared that there are students whose scholarships have been cut off and who have been dismissed from the dormitory for this reason. The motive behind the Youth and Sports Ministry’s cutting of the students’ right to dormitory and scholarships is the political thought of the aforementioned students. As a matter of fact, these students are defined as members of or alleged members of the Gulen movement.

In conclusion, in the case, there is a hate and discrimination crime committed by public authority officials.

–        EVALUATION OF THE CASE UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

According to the Office for Human Rights and Democratic Institutions (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a hate crime is a criminal act motivated by bias against a group. Hate crimes comprise two elements: a criminal offence and a bias motivation.

In the incident, the students’ access to scholarship and dormitory rights or their existing rights were cut off. According to the definition of hate crime by ODIHR, there is a crime of discrimination motivated by hatred of victim’’s affiliation with the Gülen movement.

–        CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION

What is the Credit and Hostels Institution (KYK) Scholarship and Education Loan?

Credit and Hostels Institution (KYK) is an institution that offers scholarships and education loans to students. In order to support students with their education expenses, funds are provided in two different ways as scholarships and education loans. While a scholarship is a non-refundable support given to successful and needy students in higher education institutions, a student loan is a reimbursed financial support given to the student during normal education.