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Erasmus students stay in Ankara despite terror attackLast October 10th one of the largest terrorist attacks in recent decades took place in Ankara. Two bombs were detonated next to Sihhiye during a lefties rally. More than 200 wounded victims and 128 deaths devastated Turkey and the whole world. Sihhiye is a very crowded place visited by the international citizenship every day, at least more than a half of the 136 Erasmus people of Bilkent frequent this place every weekend. In spite of the fact that a general warning exists about living in a conflictive country, Erasmus students do not seem affected or worried.
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Andrea Peris |
During the days following the attack, the embassies of Denmark, France and Finland recommended their students to take very severe preventive measures. For example the Danish embassy asked the Erasmus to leave Turkey during the pre and post-election weeks. The embassies of Spain, Netherlands and the US recommended to avoid crowded places and also to register as resident in Ankara in order to be able to locate the students and know of their existence in case of emergency.
Furthermore, the daily international news were strongly aggressive and persuasive about Turkey: was not recommended to travel to this country and there was a warning of possible future assaults, in addition some newspapers like the New York Times or The Gazette were predicting the possibility of the start of a civil war in Turkey. As the Erasmus student Mercedes García says: “When I first saw the news of a Spanish newspaper I was shocked because I could not believe how media was exaggerating the facts”. |
After all the recommendations that the embassies and their families said to them, Erasmus
continued studying in Ankara and frequenting all places they used to go before the attack. Most of
the Erasmus students agree with that their relatives were too frightened about the danger in Ankara
and could not believe that their children still continue in “such conflictive country”. Sarah Veggerby
another Erasmus student says: “My parents really wanted me to be at home, they thought something
wrong could happen to me here. They told me they felt helpless.”.
Erkin Tarhan responsible of the international students and main authority in Bilkent University
explains the fact that Erasmus are feeling safe and they have not considered to go back home:
“Students have noted that in Bilkent we follow a very strict security system. In addition, we always
send them notifications about the latests news related to the attack, as well as recommendations like
safe places where they can go”. “We have to show the ID every time we want to enter the campus,
dorm or room. There are a lot of guards at the campus taking care of all of us, for that reason I feel
out of danger” explained Aryan Bod, student in Bilkent and ESN member.
continued studying in Ankara and frequenting all places they used to go before the attack. Most of
the Erasmus students agree with that their relatives were too frightened about the danger in Ankara
and could not believe that their children still continue in “such conflictive country”. Sarah Veggerby
another Erasmus student says: “My parents really wanted me to be at home, they thought something
wrong could happen to me here. They told me they felt helpless.”.
Erkin Tarhan responsible of the international students and main authority in Bilkent University
explains the fact that Erasmus are feeling safe and they have not considered to go back home:
“Students have noted that in Bilkent we follow a very strict security system. In addition, we always
send them notifications about the latests news related to the attack, as well as recommendations like
safe places where they can go”. “We have to show the ID every time we want to enter the campus,
dorm or room. There are a lot of guards at the campus taking care of all of us, for that reason I feel
out of danger” explained Aryan Bod, student in Bilkent and ESN member.
