POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

Over the past decade, the Erdogan regime in Turkey has been targeting opposition groups, especially in the military, the judiciary, the news media, and academia. These attacks escalated dramatically after the attempted coup in July 2016. Despite the widespread repression, Erdogan managed only a relatively narrow victory in the most recent elections. Nonetheless, that electoral victory has enabled him to further extend and expand his executive powers.

The following item is from the Turkish news site Ahval News: Spotlight on Turkey:

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a decree stripping much of the supervisory powers of the country’s education watchdog (YOK) and gave himself sole authority to appoint university rectors.

The country’s science and technology research institute (TUBITAK) also loses much of its executive remit to Erdoğan’s palace upon the introduction of a full presidential system in Turkey, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported. . . .

It is no longer a requirement for university rectors to have previously held the position of professor, Cumhuriyet said, citing the decree. The steps follow pressure imparted by Erdoğan and his governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) on the policies of universities. Establishments such as the Middle East Technical University (ODTU) and Bosphorus University are considered bastions of secular modernity that have clashed with Erdoğan’s more Islamist thinking.

The complete news item is available at: ahvalnews.com/recep-tayyip-erdogan/erdogan-tightens-grip-universities-appoint-rectors.