We reject the closure of Istanbul Bilgi University by a presidential decree on 21 May.
This arbitrary executive decree, which directly affects tens of thousands of students, nearly 1,000 academics, and numerous administrative staff, is not merely an administrative act targeting a single institution. It represents a new and particularly grave stage in the long-running assault on higher education in Turkey through marketization, political intervention, and institutional dismantling.
The closure of a university through a single executive decision constitutes a direct attack on the right to education, academic freedom, job security, and the public character of the university. Universities are not commercial entities that can be arbitrarily liquidated, transferred, placed under trusteeship, or dismantled at the discretion of political power. The governance of constitutionally recognized public institutions through top-down decree rule, rather than democratic and academic procedures, demonstrates once again how permanent exceptionalism has become the norm in Turkey.
This decision is not only about Istanbul Bilgi University. It concerns the future of higher education, the autonomy of academic institutions, and the shrinking space for critical thought and democratic life in Turkey.
The students, alumni, academics, administrative staff, and all members of Istanbul Bilgi University are not alone.
As the BIRARADA Association, we stand for:
- the right to education,
- university autonomy,
- academic freedom,
- and the dignity and security of academic labor.
We oppose the transformation of universities into instruments of arbitrary political power and marketization.
We will closely follow both the legal processes and the broader consequences arising from this unlawful decision, and we call on democratic institutions, academic communities, civil society organizations, and international networks to stand in solidarity against this attack on higher education and academic freedom.