Police and Istanbul University authorities pushed an investigation today into the beating by a group of Arab students of Isaac Catalan, the only Israel student at the University. Catalan suffered head injuries.
Catalan was studying in the University library when a Syrian student called him outside where about 20 other Arab students were waiting. Some Turkish students tried to prevent the attack on Catalan but they too were assaulted. The Arabs fled after Catalan’s head began to bleed. He was treated at a first aid center.
The victim filed a complaint with Istanbul police and with University officials, reporting that he had been constantly harassed by Arab students since he entered the medical school a year ago. One objective of the University-police investigation was to determine if the attack was politically-motivated. The incident has caused resentment in University circles, it was reported.
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