University Students Were Assaulted by Minibus Drivers

Students of Karadeniz Technical University Maritime Transportation Engineering in Sürmene district of Trabzon claimed that they had no safety as they recounted the terrifying moments they experienced. The incident took place yesterday in Çarşı Neighborhood of Sürmene district.

Incident and Witness Accounts

A private service rented by the students was stopped by minibus drivers, the driver was taken out of the vehicle and detained, preventing the students from going to the dormitory. In the ensuing argument, university students were assaulted, and police intervened in the incident. The assaulted students filed complaints and an investigation was launched.

Statements of the Students

Emir Eken, one of the students, described the incident as follows: “They took the service driver outside. They took him somewhere. Shouting voices were coming from there. My friends and I got off the service to check the situation. They had aggressive attitudes. When they saw us, they hurriedly took us outside. The fear on the face of the service driver was evident.”

Merve Çiftçi said, “It was very frightening. We have been dependent on minibuses since we came to the faculty. While there were seats for 16 people in the vehicle, 18 people were standing. Everyone was on top of each other. Even a slight brake would cause congestion. We were going to school under difficult conditions.”

Reactions and Expectations

Yusuf Çalışkan, stating that the tension between students and minibus drivers continues, said, “It is clearly revealed that the student is seen as a benefit here. We want to prevent this. We want necessary measures to be taken. We do not want students to be seen as a benefit.”

Muhammet Polat, one of the students, recalling a similar incident, said, “There were verbal insults and curses. Then, when we went to school the next day, 7-8 minibus driver kids were gathered with sticks downstairs. We had informed the police and our teachers about the situation. At that time, a major disaster was prevented.”

Statement by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office

In the statement made by the Trabzon Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that 4 people were detained in connection with the incident, and the investigation is ongoing, and actions against the suspects are continuing.