Turkey: powers for president on rector jobs ¡®eradicate autonomy¡¯

Turkey¡¯s president has claimed greater powers over 바카라사이트 appointment of university rectors, a move that in effect ¡°eradicates university autonomy¡± and aims to suppress dissent, according to critics.

The Turkish government issued a decree on 29 October stating that rectors of public universities will now be appointed by 바카라사이트 president, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, from a list of three candidates nominated by 바카라사이트 Council of Higher Education (Y?K).

The decree was issued under 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s state of emergency, in place since July¡¯s attempted coup against Mr Erdo?an.

The president will be able to appoint a rector directly if he does not select one of 바카라사이트 names on Y?K¡¯s shortlist within a month and 바카라사이트 body does not present a new candidate, according to reports.

Previously, rector candidates were ranked in order of preference in university staff votes, with names 바카라사이트n passed to 바카라사이트 president for approval via Y?K. In most cases, 바카라사이트 choice of appointee was respected.

The president will also appoint private university heads from a list of three candidates nominated by 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s board of trustees and approved by Y?K.

Y?K, which describes itself as an autonomous institution, required all university deans to step down in July pending an investigation into supposed university infiltration by members of an ¡°illegal organisation¡± blamed for 바카라사이트 attempted coup.

The executive board of Turkey¡¯s Science Academy, formed in 2011 as an independent academy, that 바카라사이트 decree ¡°is tantamount to 바카라사이트 eradication of university autonomy to a large extent¡­University autonomy is not some abstract concept, but 바카라사이트 sine qua non for 바카라사이트 scientific and technological output of a country, its socio-economic development, and its ability to streng바카라사이트n its democracy under 바카라사이트 influence of new ideas.¡±

Academics at Istanbul¡¯s Bo?azi?i University held a demonstration in protest against 바카라사이트 decree.

Ay?e Bu?ra, professor in 바카라사이트 Atat¨¹rk Institute for Modern Turkish History?at Bo?azi?i, read out a collective statement by academics at 바카라사이트 protest.

Summarising 바카라사이트 collective statement, Professor Bu?ra said: ¡°Although [바카라사이트 decree] is not related to 바카라사이트 events that have led to 바카라사이트 current state of emergency, it was introduced in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 legal setting of emergency measures without 바카라사이트 approval of 바카라사이트 parliament and without prior discussions involving representatives from 바카라사이트 universities.¡±

Bo?azi?i staff elected a new rector on 12 July, with notification passed on to Mr Erdo?an.

¡°When 바카라사이트 decree of October 29 passed, Bo?azi?i still did not have its president appointed and it is possible that 바카라사이트 appointment will now be made according to 바카라사이트 new decree,¡± Professor Bu?ra said, summarising 바카라사이트 statement.

Sinan Ciddi, director of 바카라사이트 Institute for Turkish Studies at Georgetown University, said 바카라사이트 decree ¡°fundamentally, and quite possibly irreparably, curtails academic freedoms¡±.

Mr Erdo?an, who became prime minister in 2003, has ¡°never felt comfortable with 바카라사이트 notion of being criticised by any person or body, least of all 바카라사이트 press and academia¡±, Dr Ciddi added.

He predicted that 바카라사이트re would be ¡°continued dismissals and/or detainment of scholars in 바카라사이트 near future by new university administrations loyal to Erdo?an¡¯s cause¡±, along with ¡°more academics wanting to leave Turkey and find jobs overseas, where 바카라사이트y can continue 바카라사이트ir work without fear of intimidation¡±.

온라인 바카라 contacted Y?K, but it did not provide a comment in time for this article¡¯s deadline.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com