Academics to take legal action against caderization at Boğaziçi University
"We don't accept" (*Photo: Tolga Sütlü - @bogazicitv)
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29 departments and three graduate institutes of Boğaziçi University released a written statement today (March 28). In their joint statement, the academics raised concerns that the university's system of employment based on meritocracy has been under a grave threat of caderization.
The statement of the academic units has stressed that the appointments that are devoid of transparency, meritocracy or a heed for the units' academic autonomy are unacceptable and announced that the academics of Boğaziçi University will "use all legal means" against them.
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The academics, students and alumni of Boğaziçi University have been protesting the appointment of rectors since January 4, 2021.
The protests began after President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Melih Bulu as a rector to Boğaziçi University from outside its academic community without an election on January 1, 2021. Bulu was dismissed by another Presidential decision issued by Erdoğan and he has been replaced by Naci İnci.
'All legals means will be employed'
In their joint statement, the departments and institutes have underlined that "as a prestigious public university for 51 years, one of the main priorities of Boğaziçi University has been to incorporate the most qualified young scientists who have completed their PhD and/or postgraduate studies at the leading education and research institutions of the world and Turkey".
Raising concerns over the "grave threat of caderization faced by the meritocracy-based employment system" of the university, the academics have recalled that "within the frame of the 'Boğaziçi University Faculty Members Appointment and Promotion Principles', set by the senate, the major responsibilities fall on Institutes/ Departments in this context".
"In every phase of the employment processes, there is an obligation to be open, to adhere to the principle of meritocracy and to make a choice among candidates by consensus and transparency", the academics have said, noting that "this obligation means that applications are announced in the most widespread way possible and candidates are reviewed solely in terms of their educational and research activities, potentials and ethics without any of the qualified candidates being subject to any discrimination".
Stressing that "these processes meticulously pursued by the units and boards of the university are indispensable for Boğaziçi University to maintain its quality as a quality research university which offers quality education with its academically competent staff", the undersigned departments and institutes have announced that "the appointments made without being reviewed by the related units and boards of the university and without considering the principles of meritocracy and transparency as well as the units' academic autonomy will not be accepted and all necessary legal means will be employed" in the face of such appointments.
The undersigned departments and institutes:
Computer Education and Educational Technology
Educational Sciences
Primary Education
Mathematics and Science Education
Foreign Language Education
Western Languages and Literatures
Translation and Interpreting Studies
Linguistics
Philosophy
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Psychology
Sociology
History
Turkish Language and Literature
Economics
Political Science and International Relations
Management
International Trade
Management Information Systems
Tourism Administration
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
The Atatürk Institute For Modern Turkish History
The Institute of Biomedical Engineering
The Institute of Environmental Sciences
What happened?Prof. Melih Bulu was appointed as the rector of Boğaziçi University by a Presidential Decision published in the Official Gazette on January 2, 2021. The appointment of Bulu sparked harsh criticisms among both the students and academics of the university as well as in the academic community. Appointed to Boğaziçi, one of the most prestigious universities in Turkey, from outside its community, Bulu was a candidate for nomination to run in the Parliamentary elections in 2015 for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The students and several students' clubs of the university campaigned on social media under the hashtag #kayyımrektöristemiyoruz (We don't want a trustee-rector). The call of the students was also supported by the faculty members of the university, who released a joint statement on January 3. "An academic outside Bogazici University community was appointed as a rector, which is a practice introduced for the first time after the 1980s military tutelage," read the statement of the faculty members. Amid harsh criticisms of students and faculty members, Prof. Bulu shared a message on his Twitter account, welcoming his appointment to the position, saying, "We are all in the same boat." The students protested the appointment of Bulu in front of the South Campus of the university in İstanbul on January 4. However, the police intervened into the protest with pepper gas and plastic bullets. Next day, it was reported that there were detention warrants against 28 people for "violating the law on meetings and demonstrations" and "resisting the officer on duty." Later in the day, 22 of them were detained. 40 people in total were detained over the protests. All of the detained were released on January 7 and 8, 2021. The protests of students and faculty members at the South Campus of Boğaziçi University have been going on since January 4. Taken into custody over a picture of the Kaaba, a sacred site in Islam, with a Shahmaran figure and four LGBTI+ flags on its corners, two students were arrested and two were placed under house arrest over this picture displayed at an exhibition as part of the protests at the South Campus. On February 1, police stormed the South Campus and intervened into the students' protests. Earlier in the day, the students gathered in front of the campus for the protest. Police hindered the protest while also preventing the students inside the South Campus from joining their friends outside. With the 51 students taken into custody inside the campus in the evening, the number of detained increased to 159. In a statement released by the İstanbul Governor's Office in the early morning hours on February 2, it was announced that 98 students were released from detention. On February 2, Boğaziçi University students gathered in Kadıköy Rıhtım for another protest, which was attacked by the police with plastic bullets and tear gas. 134 people were taken into custody by the police. Two of the protesters were arrested by the court afterwards. On February 6, four more people were arrested and two others were placed under house arrest over their participation in Boğaziçi protests in Kadıköy. On the same day, Erdoğan issued a Presidential decree to open two new faculties at the university. In response to this, the Boğaziçi Solidarity platform addressed an open letter to the "12th President of Turkey." A day later, student Beyza Buldağ was taken into custody for allegedly administering the "Boğaziçi Solidarity" Twitter account and arrested for "provoking the public to hatred, enmity and hostility" and "provoking to commit crimes" over both the letter and other Twitter posts. As of February 7, the Boğaziçi Solidarity platform announced that at least 560 students were detained, 25 were sentenced to house arrest and 10 were arrested. Students have been arrested on charges of "degrading or provoking the public to hatred and hostility" and "resisting to prevent fulfilment of duty" as per the Articles 216 and 265 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). On February 10, one more student was arrested. With the release of Beyza Buldağ and Muhammed Önal on February 12, there remained nine students arrested over Boğaziçi University protests against the appointed rector. On February 22, two more students were placed under house arrest on the grounds that they distributed the letter of an arrested student to citizens. As the protests continued, President Erdoğan on July 15 sacked Melih Bulu. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) appointed Vice-Rector Naci İnci as the acting rector one day later. On August 20, 2021, President Erdoğan appointed İnci as the new rector. As of January 5, 2021, two students were arrested for protesting the appointment of Naci İnci. They were released on probation at their first hearing on January 7. On January 19, 2022, the academics of Boğaziçi University announced that in line with the decision taken at the meeting of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) on January 18, Prof. Özlem Berk Albachten, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Metin Ercan, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Prof. Yasemin Bayyurt, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, have been removed from office by the rectorate. Shortly afterwards, appointed rector Prof. Naci İnci has appointed himself as the acting dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in place of elected dean Özlem Berk Albachten, who has been removed from office. Three deans were appointed from outside Boğaziçi University on March 5 to replace the three elected deans removed from office. |
(AÖ/SD)
