Turkish authorities close liberal Istanbul university amid ongoing criminal investigation

Turkish Government Revokes Operating Licence of Istanbul Bilgi University

In a presidential decree published on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revoked the operating licence for Istanbul Bilgi University, effective immediately. The decision was made under Article 33 of the Higher Education Law, which allows for the closure of independent schools deemed to have insufficient educational standards.

The university, which has approximately 20,000 students from Turkey and abroad, had been seized by the state in a criminal investigation last year following allegations of money laundering and tax fraud against its parent company, Can Holdings. Since then, the institution has been managed by a court-appointed administrator.

According to reports, students at Bilgi University were scheduled to sit end-of-year exams in June but will now continue their education at Mimar Sinan University, which serves as the guarantor state university. Protests broke out on campus, with dozens of students demonstrating and holding banners that read “This is just the beginning, the struggle continues.”

The Council of Higher Education had previously stated its intention to take measures to ensure the well-being of Bilgi University students. The institution was founded in 1996 and is known for its liberal values, ranking 1,401 globally according to QS World University rankings. It also participates in the Erasmus Mundus programme.

No official statement has been issued by Bilgi University management regarding the closure.

Source: Al Jazeera