Artuklu University President: 'There is no Closure, YÖK Ordered and I did'

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Mardin Artuklu University President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ağırakça has refuted the claims that the senate will close the Institute of Living Languages on the grounds of "savings measures", saying, "It is not my decision. The YÖK [Council of Higher Education] ordered me, so I did," he said.

On the claim that the Senate would close the Institute of Living Languages by 17 votes against 7, sources from Mardin University told bianet that the Institute of Living Languages and the Faculty of science would merge under the umbrella of the Institute of Social Sciences and that this decision was taken on the grounds of "savings measures".

Bianet reached in Mardin Artuklu University Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ağırakça said that the closure of the institute was not in question and that all the institutes were gathered under one roof within the framework of the decision taken by the YÖK.

"There is absolutely no closure"

The Rector said:

"There is no closure whatsoever. Let alone closure, nowhere in Turkey there is both a master's degree program in Kurdish Language and Culture and a department of Kurdish Language and Literature where is both master's and doctorate programs. I gave them professors. I gave them associate professors. Would that happen?

"There is absolutely no closure, with the new program of YÖK, not only for us but in all universities in Turkey, the same thing is happening. We are three universities in which there are Living Languages. But there are 114 state universities. There are at least 80 foundation universities. The same is being done at 215 state and foundation universities.

Institutes are being gathered under one roof. This is called the Graduate Education and Training Institute, an institution for master's and doctorate programs. The Kurdish language and culture are also in it, the Arabic language and culture are in it, and the Syriac language and culture are in it.

"It's not my decision. YÖK ordered me, so I did. Not only did I, but Gazi University did it, and all the universities in Ankara did it.

"Does the Institute of Living Languages have a master's degree, a doctorate? It does. Will it keep having it? will. So what is this rudeness about? Many journalists, many TV channels have called me since the morning, I made this statement to them just like I did to you. I don't know, but which ones came out and made such a statement, saying, "According to the information we have received from the Rector..." None of them are making a statement right now.

"I will file lawsuit against press organizations"

"As of tomorrow, I will file a lawsuit against all the press organizations that made this false story.

"What will happen to the staff? Whatever the positions are within the Institute of Social Sciences, the positions within the Institute of Living Languages will continue to be the same. So they can sit down and work if they wouldn't mind. They don't work. I have been there for six years, there are still some people who will finish their masters. They don't work.

They were taken there to serve the Kurdish language. None of them writes a thesis or articles, none of them works. They lie down and get salaries. They will continue to be in the staff and to receive ill-gotten money. They lie down and get money from the state. The state is not saying anything to them. They don't see this good thing of the state. It's an interesting thing.

"This is not a claim, this is the truth. My mission was over in March, it continues. The President has asked me to continue in office, and I continue. The president says very clearly that they will not make an appointment there, we will continue with Ahmet. That's not my thing, and I don't have that kind of demand. It is the President's own discretion. He didn't see a suitable staff member to run it, he wants me to keep going." (FD/VK)