21.07.2026 15:30
The statements made by Tijen Mergen, a member of ÇYDD and Rotary, who attended the Boğaziçi University graduation ceremony, targeting conservative families by saying "Students in chadors, fathers wearing skullcaps... I would have preferred to see a more modern portrait," caused an uproar on social media. Thousands of users, reacting to the discrimination based on people's attire, harshly criticized the post with comments like "The February 28 mentality has resurfaced."
Tijen Mergen, a Board Member of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life (ÇYDD) and a Rotary Member who attended Boğaziçi University's graduation ceremony, drew significant backlash for her post targeting conservative family profiles at the ceremony.
CONTROVERSIAL GRADUATION POST
Tijen Mergen, who attended the Boğaziçi University graduation ceremony, shared remarks targeting the attire of families at the ceremony on her social media account. Expressing her discomfort with the changing profile at the university, Mergen stated in her post: "Students in chadors, mothers, fathers wearing skullcaps... I would have liked to see a more contemporary portrait at Turkey's leading scientific institution. I watched with a heavy heart how the change in Turkey over the years has also taken place at my university."
OUTRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: THE SPIRIT OF FEBRUARY 28
Mergen's commentary targeting the families' religious preferences and clothing styles quickly became one of the most talked-about topics on social media. Citizens harshly criticized the targeting of individuals based on their lifestyle on a day of academic achievement and graduation joy, expressing their reactions.
Thousands of condemnation messages were posted under the entry, with prominent themes in the comments being:
- "The February 28 mentality and the spirit of guardianship have resurfaced."
- "In scientific institutions, it is success and ideas that compete, not clothing."
- "Separating parents who are by their children's side on their happiest day based on their attire is not modernity."