Turkish police detained 65 people late on Thursday over protests which first started last month at a top university, authorities said on Friday, continuing a crackdown on the protesters despite growing international criticism.
Students and teachers at Istanbul's Bogazici University have protested against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's choice of university rector, an appointment they said was undemocratic.
The Istanbul governor's office said the protesters had violated a ban on public demonstrations, gatherings and marches imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It said that the people detained on Thursday in Istanbul's Kadikoy district were carrying out illegal acts.
Some 600 people have been detained since January 4 after protests spread in Istanbul and Ankara, authorities have said. Most have been released, despite repeated statements from officials that the protesters are terrorists.
Two people who were detained at an Istanbul protest on Tuesday were arrested overnight, a court spokeswoman said.
The EU Commission said the detention of students "exercising their legitimate right to freedom of assembly" was deeply worrying, and the COVID pandemic should not be used as a reason to silence critical voices.
