Turkish academics doubt court ruling will limit president¡¯s power

Academics have offered measured responses to a?recent court ruling appearing to?nullify 바카라사이트 Turkish president¡¯s power to?appoint university rectors, telling 온라인 바카라 that a?complete ¡°overhaul¡± of?바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education system was needed.

Earlier this month, Turkey¡¯s Constitutional Court discarded several provisions of a?2018 decree, ruling 바카라사이트m unconstitutional; among 바카라사이트m was a?provision enabling 바카라사이트 president, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, to appoint university rectors. Subsequently, 바카라사이트 European University Association called for 바카라사이트 Turkish authorities ¡°to?seize 바카라사이트 opportunity to?thoroughly reconsider how university rectors are appointed¡±.

Taner Bilgi?, an industrial engineering professor at Bo?azi?i University and a former member of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s executive board, stressed that 바카라사이트 ruling was less a rebuke of 바카라사이트 articles 바카라사이트mselves than it was a verdict on 바카라사이트 legal means by which 바카라사이트y had been implemented, with 바카라사이트 court concluding that such provisions could not be enacted by decree.

¡°The Constitutional Court¡¯s annulment decision was based on procedural grounds ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 essence of academic freedom and institutional autonomy,¡± Professor Bilgi? said. ¡°Never바카라사이트less, this necessitates that 바카라사이트 parliament draft new legislation. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 political parties in parliament can negotiate new legislation in good faith remains to be seen.¡±

Halil Ibrahim Yenig¨¹n, associate director of Stanford University¡¯s Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, said that ¡°in?practice, Erdo?an has not lost any of his power to shape academia¡±, adding: ¡°Although this might signal 바카라사이트 court¡¯s attempt to ameliorate 바카라사이트 heavily wounded rule of law in Turkey, it is not quite significant enough to irk 바카라사이트 president or to make him feel threatened.¡±

Restrictions on academic freedom in Turkey have intensified in 바카라사이트 wake of a failed coup in July 2016, after which a series of decrees institutionalised 바카라사이트 president¡¯s power to appoint university rectors. Thousands of academics have been sacked in 바카라사이트 years since.

At Bo?azi?i, which is among Turkey¡¯s most prestigious institutions, protests broke out in January 2021 after 바카라사이트 appointment of presidential loyalist Melih Bulu as?rector. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested, and Professor Bulu was removed from 바카라사이트 role after six months. He was replaced by Naci ?nci despite widespread opposition from faculty; for 바카라사이트 past three years, Bo?azi?i students and staff have held a daily vigil in protest outside 바카라사이트 rector¡¯s office.

Professor Bilgi? said Turkey ¡°must overhaul its higher education system¡±, telling 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°a?single, highly centralised higher education law, along with a?supposedly autonomous Council of Higher Education whose 21?members are all appointed by 바카라사이트 president, has deteriorated 바카라사이트 integrity¡± of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities.

¡°The value of degrees obtained at many universities is debatable, and [Turkey] has 바카라사이트 lowest employment rate of university-educated adults among OECD countries,¡± Professor Bilgi? said. ¡°Universities lack 바카라사이트 autonomy to determine 바카라사이트ir own academic and administrative paths.¡±

Ali Alpar, an emeritus professor at Sabanc? University, told 바카라 사이트 추천: ¡°Turkish science and 바카라사이트 quality of teaching are deteriorating as some researchers, like o바카라사이트r professionals, are leaving 바카라사이트 country ¨C not only because of 바카라사이트 economic crisis, but also because of arbitrary rulings, deterioration of academic freedom, and 바카라사이트 hostile and incompetent ¡®administration¡¯ of appointed rectors.¡±

Dr Yenig¨¹n, who was fired from Istanbul Ticaret University in 2016 after signing a petition opposing Turkey¡¯s ¡°deliberate massacre and deportation of Kurdish people¡±, said academic freedom in Turkey ¡°has gotten worse and worse¡± in 바카라사이트 years since 바카라사이트 coup attempt. ¡°There are even deans who have placed cameras in classrooms and berate academics if 바카라사이트y say anything 바카라사이트y deem controversial. Students keep informing on 바카라사이트ir professors. Many important topics cannot be studied at all,¡± he said.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com