Gaza activists were ‘useful idiots’ in a much bigger Turkish power game

IN my first year at Queen’s in Belfast, no subject exercised the monthly meetings of the students’ union more than the name of the hall where our meetings were held.

By and large, republican students supported retaining the name, Mandela Hall; unionist students resented what they saw as a political stunt, especially after it was revealed the Mandela in question was the discredited Winnie, not the saintly Nelson.

Needless to say, accusations of being in favour of necklace killings and of supporting white supremacy flew back and forth. At least, it was a diversion from what really divided the student body, the tit-for-tat violence on the streets outside, I guess.