Istanbul Bar Association slams presidential decree revoking university license

The Istanbul Bar Association has strongly condemned a presidential decree that revoked the operating license of Istanbul Bilgi University. The decision, published in the Official Gazette with no stated reason, came just one month before the end of the academic year.

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The decision, published in the Official Gazette with no stated reason, is incompatible with university autonomy, the right to education, and the principle of the rule of law, which are guaranteed by the Constitution.

The association declared the move incompatible with constitutional guarantees of university autonomy, the right to education, and the rule of law. They cited a Constitutional Court ruling that emphasized universities can only be closed by law, not by executive administrative decisions.

"This decision is a new example of the executive branch usurping legislative power through unilateral actions," the bar association stated. They drew parallels to Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, also enacted by presidential decree bypassing parliamentary will. This practice, they argue, disregards constitutional limits and subjects critical matters of public order and fundamental rights to the will of a single person without democratic legitimacy.

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This decision is a new example of the executive branch usurping legislative power through unilateral actions.

The timing of the decision exacerbates its impact, leaving thousands of students facing educational uncertainty, academics concerned about their research, and university employees worried about job security. The bar association affirmed its commitment to the rule of law, separation of powers, academic freedom, and the right to education. They declared their opposition to the "usurpation of legislative power" and the subjugation of constitutional institutions to individual will, standing in solidarity with Istanbul Bilgi University.

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Universities are not areas for arbitrary intervention by political power; they are constitutional guarantees of a democratic society, freedom of thought, and scientific production.