Oktay Eksi: Turkey's new rector promotions raise question marks

That is because our university personnel, unlike those of universities in most other countries that operate under a constitutional regime, are not made up of those with the aim of creating a brighter future for the adults of tomorrow. �

Our universities also have an additional responsibility – in fact, it is the foundation principle:

“To nurture youth to protect the constitutional regime.”

This is the reason that for years the question in Turkey, “Who will the dean of the university?” has attracted so much attention. Mostly because, according to Turkish law, Act No. 2547 gives university rectors broad powers that can completely transform the identity of a university.

As it was seen previously at some universities in Turkey, this can be turned into a platform where the anti-secular university lecturers organize and launch their plan to take over the university completely.

Looking back at the appointments made during the presidential term of Turgut Ozal and the final prime ministerial term of Suleyman Demirel, it is a reality that universities were seriously wounded during these periods.

Thankfully, the rectors posted to their charges during Demirel and Sezer's presidental periods, diligently selected among those who would obviously nurture youth as the fourth the article of the Higher Education Council (YOK) law which states, "Nurturing youth faithful to Ataturk nationalism by applying the principles of Ataturk's revolution."

And it is for this reason that we all curiously waited to see how President Abdullah Gul would use his authority in selecting the new rectors.

It needs to be stated at this point that Mr Gul did not receive high marks for his choices. In fact, the appointments made by Gul lead the way for mass resignations in protest to his selections, at Istanbul Technical University 12 resignations, eleven of them professors, with three tutors at Gazi University, and one at Dokuz Eylul University also resigning.

As a matter of fact, it is understood that Mr. President has not promoted Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bakir, the rector of the Cumhuriyet University in Sivas who again gained the majority of votes in the university election, since he investigated claims "plagiarism" made against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's former undersecretary.�It is also seen that Mr. President did not promote Prof. Dr Mustafa Akaydin, the rector of Mediterranean University, since he made decisive statements regarding the "headscarf" issue.

Also the other example such as promoting Prof. Dr. Huseyin Akan, MP candidate for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the latest election, instead of Kemalist, Prof.Dr. Murat Aydin at Ondokuz Mayis University; promoting Prof. Dr. Mehmet Fuzun, just because his brother was a country representative for the AKP, instead of Prof. Dr. Sedef Gidener who was at the top of the list submitted to the president and also the appointment of Prof. Dr. Ismail Yuksek, who is said “to be close” to the AKP, at Yildiz University, which helped to bring down the president's points.

As we stated before, the president is oath-bound. This duty should not only be in words, but also translate into action.