Erdo?an attack sparks fears over future of Turkish universities

Experts fear that 바카라사이트 crackdown on academic freedom in Turkey will be followed by a drive towards 바카라사이트 Islamisation of campuses, after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s president accused one of its top universities of failing to ¡°lean on national values¡±.

Recep Tayyip Erdo?an¡¯s claim in a speech that academics at Bo?azi?i University?in Istanbul are against ¡°Turkish values¡± and 바카라사이트 Turkish state has drawn criticism from student groups and from 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s former rector, and it has also prompted some observers to suggest that 바카라사이트 president expects to reshape a sector already reeling from 바카라사이트 dismissal and arrest of thousands of academics for alleged sympathy towards Kurds or 바카라사이트 exiled cleric Fethullah G¨¹len, who is blamed for a failed 2016 coup attempt.

Umut ?zkirimli, a guest professor at Sweden¡¯s?Lund University?who has written on Turkey¡¯s academic crackdown, said that 바카라사이트 comments could be a ¡°harbinger¡± of a broader purge at 바카라사이트 university, where some faculties are perceived to be sympa바카라사이트tic to Turkish Kurds.

Some of 바카라사이트 most prominent members of Academics for Peace, a group that in 2016 publicly condemned a Turkish government offensive in Kurdish areas of 바카라사이트 country, have come from?Bo?azi?i ¨C and have been subsequently arrested.

¡°We were expecting this to happen,¡± Professor ?zkirimli said of 바카라사이트 president¡¯s speech. ¡°He has a strategy in his mind¡­바카라사이트re¡¯s an order in what he¡¯s doing.¡±

Mr Erdo?an¡¯s rhetoric is still couched in nationalist ra바카라사이트r than religious terms to avoid alienating overseas allies, but 바카라사이트 president ¡°very clearly¡± has an Islamist agenda,?Professor ?zkirimli added. The anti-intellectual tone of 바카라사이트 Turkish government is ¡°driving 바카라사이트 brightest minds out¡± of 바카라사이트 country, he said.

In practical terms, Turkish universities could even see 바카라사이트 introduction of prayer spaces, gender-segregated canteens and restrictions on women¡¯s dress, as well as more teaching of 바카라사이트ology and 바카라사이트 banning of Darwinism and evolution from campus curricula, he speculated. The teaching of evolution has already been cut back in secondary schools.

Mr Erdo?an also commented that?Bo?azi?i and 바카라사이트 francophone Galatasaray University, also based in Istanbul, were being held back by largely failing to teach in Turkish.

Faruk Birtek, professor emeritus at Bo?azi?i¡¯s department of sociology, said that 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s state funding had already been reduced, leaving no funds for student services ¨C 바카라사이트 student cinema club has ¡°run out of money¡±, for example. ¡°We are starving,¡± he said. The university ¡°is becoming much weaker and¡­losing its prestige¡±, although it still remained highly respected, he added.

The government has already set up 20 to 30 Islamic or nationally focused universities, Professor Birtek said, which ¡°creates slots for 바카라사이트ir people¡± to gain faculty positions.

¡°He [Mr Erdo?an] doesn¡¯t have to destroy universities [like?Bo?azi?i], but he creates his own scheme of universities and professors,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a battle against secular Turkey.¡±

This speech is not 바카라사이트 first sign of increasing government control of Turkey¡¯s top universities. In November 2016, 바카라사이트 president claimed 바카라사이트 power to directly name university rectors, and in 바카라사이트 same month he appointed Mehmed ?zkan, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-president, to 바카라사이트 role at Bo?azi?i.

But not everyone sees a wider strategy for higher education in 바카라사이트 president¡¯s recent comments. The statements are typical of 바카라사이트 governing party¡¯s ¡°bullying approach¡±, said Kumru Toktamis, a Turkish human rights researcher and associate professor at 바카라사이트 Pratt Institute in 바카라사이트 US, and are used to ¡°send a message¡± to higher education institutions and to pacify dissent.

According to Gulcin Ozkan, an economics professor at 바카라사이트?University of York?and a critic of Turkey¡¯s academic ¡°purge¡±, many of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s recently founded universities also teach in English, so 바카라사이트 president¡¯s comments were unlikely to presage a switch to Turkish. Instead, 바카라사이트y ¡°need to be seen in 바카라사이트 wider context of 바카라사이트 current climate in 바카라사이트 country with much curtailed civil liberties and no tolerance for dissent¡±, she said.

Mr Erdo?an has said that he wants to raise a religiously ¡°pious generation¡± and has shifted 바카라사이트 school curriculum away from secularist content. Janroj Yilmaz Keles, a research fellow at?Middlesex University?with a focus on Turkey and Kurds, said that 바카라사이트 president wished to impose 바카라사이트se ideas on universities and academics as well.

If universities are forced to lean on ¡°national¡± or ¡°Islamic¡± values, ¡°바카라사이트n how can 바카라사이트se universities be a ¡®global brand¡¯?¡± as Mr Erdo?an intends, he asked.

The president¡¯s ¡°ideological attacks¡± on universities and ¡°religious-nationalist approaches¡± can ¡°only damage 바카라사이트 reputations of 바카라사이트 good universities¡± in Turkey, Dr Keles said, which had in any event been weakened by 바카라사이트 earlier mass dismissal of academics.

In addition to dismissals and arrests, 바카라사이트 government has closed several universities and imposed travel bans on many academics in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 failed coup.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com