Erdoğan appoints rectors to six universities

The president has also extended the term of a pro-government columnist as the rector of an "Islamic science and technology university."

İstanbul

Erdoğan appoints rectors to six universities

Photo: AA/File

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed rectors to six universities.

With the same presidential decision, Erdoğan extended the term of Prof. Nihat Hatipoğlu as the rector of Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University. Hatipoğlu hosts a TV program on ATV and is a columnist for pro-government daily Sabah.

The appointments:

Bartın University - Prof. Dr. Orhan Uzun
Bayburt University - Prof. Dr. Mutlu Türkmen
Çankırı Karatekin University - Prof. Dr. Harun Çiftçi
Iğdır University - Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hakkı Alma
İbn Haldun University - Prof. Dr. Atilla Arkan
İzmir Demokrasi University - Prof. Dr. Bedriye Tunçsiper

During the state of emergency declared after the July 2016 coup attempt, the Council of Ministers abolished rector elections at universities and authorized the president for rector appointments by Statutory Decree No 2547 in October 2016.

Rectors are appointed for four years.

Erdoğan's appointment of Prof. Melih Bulu to Boğaziçi University at the start of the year has sparked protests among the students and academics of the school.

Previously, universities would hold an election and the president would appoint one of the three candidates that received the highest number of votes. (TP/VK)