Erdogan Reverses Closure of Istanbul's Bilgi University After Protests
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reversed his order to close Istanbul's private Bilgi University, citing "inadequate" education, after nearly a thousand students and lecturers protested, with some occupying a building. The reversal, published in the official gazette, came amid broader government repression against the opposition, including the dismissal of CHP leader Özgür Özel and the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The protests signaled effective resistance against Erdogan's autocratic measures.
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Erdoğan Reverses University Closure After Protests, Fearing Uprising
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reversed the planned closure of Bilgi University in Istanbul following massive protests, signaling that resistance against his autocratic measures is effective. The protests were triggered by the dismissal of main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel on Thursday and the university closure on Friday. Özel, considered Erdoğan's strongest rival, has promised to rid the CHP and the state of corruption. Under his leadership, the CHP became the strongest force ahead of the AKP in the 2024 local elections for the first time in years. Since then, opposition members have faced political elimination, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, imprisoned since March 2025. The article also criticizes European hypocrisy, noting that Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) referenced dead EU accession negotiations, while the Greens and Left remain silent on defending democratic values in Turkey.
taz.de - taz.deErdoğan Backs Down on University Closure Amid Protests, Fearing Uprising
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reversed the planned closure of Bilgi University following massive protests, signaling fear of a social uprising. The protests were sparked by the dismissal of main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel on Thursday and the university closure on Friday. Özel, considered Erdoğan's strongest rival, has led the CHP to become the strongest political force ahead of the AKP in the 2024 local elections. The opposition has faced increasing pressure, including the imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu since March 2025. The article criticizes European hypocrisy, noting Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's reference to dead EU accession talks, and disappointment at silence from German Greens and Left parties. It questions whether free and democratic elections will be possible in 2027 under current conditions.
taz.de - taz.deErdoğan Reverses University Closure After Protests, Fearing Uprising
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reversed the planned closure of Bilgi University following massive protests, signaling that resistance against his autocratic measures is effective. The protests were sparked by the dismissal of main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel on Thursday and the university closure on Friday. The article argues that these actions reflect a mafia-like system under the AKP government and Erdoğan's fear of a social uprising. Özel, considered Erdoğan's strongest rival, led the CHP to become the strongest force in the 2024 local elections for the first time in years. Since then, opposition members have faced political elimination, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, imprisoned since March 2025. The article also criticizes European hypocrisy, noting that Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) referenced dead EU accession negotiations, while silence from Greens and Left parties is disappointing. It questions whether free and democratic elections will be possible in 2027 under current conditions.
taz.de - taz.deErdoğan Reverses University Closure After Protests, Fearing Uprising
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reversed the planned closure of Bilgi University following massive protests, signaling that resistance can be effective against his autocratic measures. The protests were sparked by the dismissal of main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel on Thursday and the university closure on Friday. Özel, considered Erdoğan's strongest rival, has promised to rid the CHP and the state of corruption. Under his leadership, the CHP became the strongest force ahead of the AKP in the 2024 local elections for the first time in years. Since then, the opposition has faced severe pressure, including the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March 2025. The article, published by left-leaning German daily taz, criticizes European hypocrisy and the silence of German Greens and Left parties, arguing that defending basic democratic values is at stake. It questions whether free and democratic elections will be possible in 2027 under current conditions.
taz.de - taz.deErdogan Reverses Closure of Liberal Istanbul University After Protests
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unexpectedly reversed his controversial order to close Istanbul's private Bilgi University, a liberal institution with over 20,000 students. The reversal was published in the official gazette on Sunday, just days after the closure order took effect on Friday. Erdogan had cited an 'inadequate' level of education as justification. The decision sparked protests from nearly a thousand students and lecturers on campus, with dozens occupying a college building before being removed by police. The university, founded in 1996, participates in the EU's Erasmus exchange program. The reversal comes amid broader government repression against the opposition, including a recent court dismissal of the opposition CHP party's leadership, which had dealt a serious defeat to Erdogan's AKP in the 2024 local elections.
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