Hundreds of students in Turkey have been protesting in Istanbul against the prime minister’s plans to ban mixed-sex accomodation in state-run halls of residence.<br /><br />It comes after Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the current set-up as “illegitimate”.<br /><br />“I’m a university student, I’m young and also a woman. I’m here because the AK party declared that mixed-sex students are living together, thus targeting us students. I’m against this decision as a woman and as a student,” said protester Hazal Bakan.<br /><br />One political analyst told euronews why Erdogan may not even be able to implement his intentions.<br /><br />Cengiz Aktar from the Istanbul Policy Centre said: “I don’t even think that this can be done by a legal regulation or a decree. But I will tell you what will happen. Some people will take it upon themselves to be the moral police force – they will harass young people and their families, defending their attitudes based on the prime minister’s statement. It’s already started.”<br /><br />Erdogan has repeatedly denied accusations of interfering in people’s personal lives but his critics say his party is gradually eroding freedoms and secular Turkish values.
