Statement by Boğaziçi LGBTI+ on Hande Kader Fellowship That It Withdrew

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Boğaziçi University LGBTI+ Studies Club (BÜLGBTI+) has issued a statement on the Hande Kader Fellowship denied by the university presidency saying that the Hander Kader Fellowship announcement shared to the public in the wake of the correspondences with the Boğaziçi University Foundation (BÜVAK).

Saying that meetings were held with BÜVAK concerning the Hande Kader Fellowship, BÜLGBTİ+ emphasized that the correspondences with the accounting department via e-mail were completed.

Stating that the account number announced the donation call for the fellowship was given by the members at the accounting department of BÜVAK, BÜLGBTİ+ said that Prof. Dr. Mehmed Özkan, was not the president at the time of these meetings and was later appointed as the president and he was also appointed as the chair of BÜVAK.

BÜLGBTİ+ also added in its statement “We feel ashamed on behalf as the LGBTİ+ students and we condemn this discriminatory practice. We’re sorry. We apologize to our donators. We’d like to state that your great interest has made us happy and given us hope”.

What happened?

A trans student at the Boğaziçi University would receive 500 TL (125 Euros) of fellowship for 12 months as part of the Hande Kader Fellowship prepared through the cooperation of BÜVAK and BÜLGBTI+.

The fellowship would be formed through the donations that will be collected. The quota for the fellowship holders was planned to be increased and the 1-year fellowship was planned to be extended depending on the amount collected.

After it was covered by the media, the Boğaziçi University Presidency has issued a statement saying that the fellowship was not within the information of the presidency and the donations were returned as of that moment. (ÇT/TK)