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With a Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette today (August 14), President and ruling Justice and Development (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed presidents to 16 public universities.
Of these 16 presidents, only two are women:
Prof. Özlenen Özkan has been appointed to the Presidency of the Akdeniz University in Turkey's Mediterranean region.
Özlenen Özkan graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Akdeniz University in 2001. She has specialized in the field of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. She was also the part of the team that performed the first face transplant in the world.
Prof. Meryem Tuncel has been appointed to the Presidency of Çukurova University in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Adana.
Meryem Tuncel is the Chair of the Department of Nephrology at the Texas University Faculty of Medicine. She is also the holder of the "Endowed Chair of Excellence" in her field of specialization.
She was born in the district of Kadirli in Turkey's southeastern province of Osmaniye. She completed her primary, secondary and high school education in the district. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Çukurova University with high honors. Then, she went to the United States (US), where she specialized in internal and kidney diseases.
Afterwards, she obtained residence and working permit with a special visa given by the US to people who have shown outstanding success.
Former AKP MP appointed to Ankara University
Among the recently appointed university president is also a former ruling AKP MP. Prof. Necdet Ünüvar, a former Adana MP for the AKP in the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th terms, has been appointed to the Ankara University. Ünüvar was also an undersecretary to the Ministry of Health.
His 25-year-old son was previously appointed as an undersecretary to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. He has also sparked reactions among both the opposition and the ruling party with his book on the night of the attempted coup on July 15, 2016.
The full list of recently appointed university presidents is as follows:
- Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University President Prof. Mehmet Tümay
- Akdeniz University President Prof. Özlenen Özkan
- Ankara University President Prof. Necdet Ünüvar
- Atatürk University President Prof. Ömer Çomaklı
- Çukurova University President Prof. Meryem Tuncel
- Dicle University President Prof. Mehmet Karakoç
- Fırat University President Prof. Fahrettin Göktaş
- Gazi University President Prof. Musa Yıldız
- İnönü University President Prof. Ahmet Kızılay
- İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) President İsmail Koyuncu
- Karadeniz Technical University President Prof. Hamdullah Çuvalcı
- Ondokuz Mayıs University President Prof. Yavuz Ünal
- Middle East Technical University (METU) President Prof. Verşan Kök
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University President Prof. Alim Yıldız
- Trakya University President Prof. Erhan Tabakoğlu
- Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) President Prof. Tamer Yılmaz
(HA/SD)
