Turkish Police Arrest Dozens of Teachers Protesting the Islamization of Schools

Turkish police have arrested dozens of teachers protesting the weakening of secularism in the country's education system by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). According to reports from AFP, a number of teachers gathered on Saturday, December 20, in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, to express their opposition to what they call the AKP's interference in undermining Turkey's secular system. However, police attacked their gathering, arresting dozens of teachers. Officers used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse the protesters. Some reports indicate that the number of arrested teachers exceeds 100, including Veli Demir, the head of the Education Union. The report states that many activists are angry about the AKP's interventions in Turkey's education system. This party, which holds the Turkish government, has been accused by these activists of undermining the country's secular principles. The Turkish government has recently lifted the ban on headscarves for high school girls and has supported the establishment of schools known as 'Imam Hatip' schools, which promote a combination of religious and modern education. Additionally, it has been reported that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan intends to revive Arabic script education in Turkish high schools and promote the teaching of Ottoman Turkish in the country's schools. The crackdown and arrest of opponents of Erdoğan's government have increased in recent months, including a week ago when security forces and police arrested at least 23 people in a simultaneous operation across 13 cities. Among those arrested were the editor of the Zaman newspaper, the director of the Samanyolu news network, a producer of two television series, a television series director, and the former head of the anti-terror branch of the police in Istanbul. The European Union condemned this incident, and the United States urged Turkey to uphold media freedom and other democratic values. However, the Turkish president responded by saying that the arrest of opponents is part of a necessary reaction to neutralize the 'dirty operations' of political enemies and added that this issue has nothing to do with the European Union. Erdoğan stated that the arrests are legal and that he is closely monitoring the situation. He added that 'a transparent legal process is currently underway' and emphasized that the police and judiciary will not repeat 'past mistakes.' Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish government, and the AKP are engaged in a conflict with Fethullah Gülen, a religious leader and major businessman residing in the United States, who was previously an ally of the AKP but is now accused by the Turkish government of 'attempting a coup.'