IZMIR - In its statement, IHD Izmir Branch stated that the housing problem of the students prevented their right to education and called on the authorities to produce permanent solutions instead of ignoring the problem.

 

The Human Rights Association (IHD) Izmir Branch Youth Commission held a press conference at the association building to draw attention to the problems experienced by the students. In the statement made by Bedrettin Gümüştekin on behalf of the commission, it was stated that the housing problem, which is the most basic human right that prevents the students’ right to education, is predictable and called on the authorities to produce permanent solutions.

 

‘The number of dormitories has not been increased according to the increasing number of students’

 

In the statement, it was stated that there were housing problems in many provinces since the education, which has been continuing online for a long time, started face-to-face in universities with the decision of Council of Higher Education, it was pointed out that while there was a constant increase in the number of universities, this increase was not seen in the state dormitories, which should increase in number proportionally. Emphasizing that many of the students who apply to state dormitories remain on the waiting lists, the students are left at the mercy of private dormitories and their homeowners, and added: ‘’Many of the private dormitories accept students above the room capacity, do not provide basic needs such as breakfast and dinner, and exorbitant prices are imposed on students. While house rents are already high, they are rented to students at even higher prices. Considering all these, students who cannot afford to pay for private dormitories or house rents are pushed to the dormitories of cults and foundations.’’

 

‘Protesting students harassed’

 

In the statement, it was stated that although the students started to sleep in the parks in protest, the authorities ignored the problem instead of solving it. It said in statement: ‘’Law enforcement detains students with torture on the grounds that they are protesting, they call their families and threaten them by saying, ‘If you do not take your child in action now, we will take her/him into custody’, and they constantly abuse them by subjecting them to Criminal Record Check (GBT) practice.’’

 

‘Permanent solutions should be produced for the housing problem’

 

Finally, in the statement, which states that housing is the most basic human right and that a state that claims to be a social state must fulfill its positive obligations regarding the implementation of this right, the statement said: ‘’This problem of students who have difficulties in housing, which is one of the most basic human rights, should be listened to. It was noted that permanent solutions should be found by taking into account the demands of students who were forced to exorbitant prices and bad conditions.’’