The Turkish government has reversed its decision to revoke the operating license of Istanbul Bilgi University, allowing one of the country’s most prominent private universities to continue academic activities after days of student protests and public debate.
The reversal was announced in a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette and signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The new decision canceled an earlier decree issued on May 22 that had stripped the university of its authorization to operate following the appointment of trustees to its founding foundation.
The edict had cited a law allowing for the closure of a private institution if “the expected level of education and training... is insufficient.”
According to the latest decree, the move was taken upon the recommendation of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
YÖK Chairman Erol Özvar said in a social media statement that educational activities at Bilgi University would continue uninterrupted following Erdoğan’s reassessment of the case.
Özvar said the president had reconsidered the process with particular attention to preventing disruption to students’ education, protecting families from uncertainty and safeguarding the rights of university employees.
He described the original closure order as “a mandatory legal procedure” carried out under existing regulations, but added that subsequent reports and updated assessments prompted authorities to revise the decision.
The government’s reversal came after three days of escalating protests at Bilgi University’s Santral Istanbul campus.
The closure triggered demonstrations by students, academics and alumni, who gathered on campus to protest the decision. Riot police and water cannon vehicles were deployed outside the university, while students staged sit-ins and marches demanding that the institution remain open.
Protesters chanted slogans criticizing the police presence on campus and accused authorities of attempting to silence the university community. In statements released during the demonstrations, students rejected the closure decision and called for the university to continue operating under public oversight if necessary.
The closure decision had followed a broader financial crimes investigation targeting Can Holding, the conglomerate linked to the university’s founding foundation. Turkish prosecutors accused company executives of offenses including money laundering, fraud, smuggling and forming a criminal organization.
Authorities subsequently transferred control of more than 100 affiliated companies and institutions to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), including media outlets and educational institutions.
