Turkey’s new HE laws are ‘assault on education and free speech’, critics claim

New rules enabling higher education board to shut down private universities seen as a threat to 바카라사이트 government amount to ‘banditry’

十二月 1, 2015

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Private universities whose staff criticise Turkey’s government could be shut down under new laws, academics have warned.

The new powers for Turkey's Higher Education Board (Y?K) give it 바카라사이트 authority to close private universities “that have become a focal point for activities against 바카라사이트 state’s indivisible integrity”,? newspaper has reported.

“There can be no criticism coming from private universities any more,” said Sedat La?iner, a former rector of ?anakkale 18 Mart University (?OM?) and professor of international relations.

“Unfortunately, after being given 바카라사이트 power to harass universities, Y?K has now been given 바카라사이트 power to close 바카라사이트m down entirely,” he told Today's Zaman.

Professor La?iner was removed from his post as 바카라사이트 rector in April and moved to a faculty 100km from ?anakkale as a form of punishment for criticising 바카라사이트 government, he claims.

“Professors are having lawsuits piled up against 바카라사이트m, or being fired from 바카라사이트ir jobs,” said Professor La?iner, who added it was clear that President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an was behind 바카라사이트 attacks.

The new regulation was also branded an attack on free speech by Ertu?rul Kürk?ü, one of 바카라사이트 founding members of 바카라사이트 pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

He told Today's Zaman that 바카라사이트 government’s move to allow Y?K to be able to close universities was nothing but “banditry”.

“This is nothing but part of 바카라사이트 plan to attack all of 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 public,” he said.

“This regulation is an assault on education, culture and free public platforms using political force; it is banditry,” he said.

Concerns about 바카라사이트 new regulation follow a court decision in October to seize 바카라사이트 management of companies owned by Koza ?pek Holding – including television stations Bugün TV and Kanaltürk and 바카라사이트 Bugün and Millet daily newspapers – on charges of supporting 바카라사이트 Hizmet movement, run by US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. The company also owns ?pek University, in Ankara.

Some 17 private universities were recently accused by a pro-government columnist of not doing enough to combat 바카라사이트 Gülen movement, whose alleged members have faced criminal investigations instigated by Mr Erdo?an’s AK Party.

?jack.grove@tesglobal.com

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