Turkiye has cancelled the operating licence of Istanbul Bilgi University, effectively shutting down the institution after it was seized by the state last year as part of a criminal investigation, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette on Friday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the decision to revoke the university’s licence. The institution, which has over 20,000 local and international students, was known for its strong academic reputation and liberal environment.
The closure took effect immediately.
The decree cited a law permitting the shutdown of private institutions if “the expected level of education and training… is insufficient”.
Turkiye’s Higher Education Council (YOK) said it would take “the necessary measures” to ensure students “suffer no harm”, particularly as end-of-year exams are scheduled for June. However, the council did not clarify how students would complete the academic year or whether they would be transferred to other universities.
According to Turkish media, students are expected to continue their studies at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, which serves as Bilgi University’s guarantor institution under Turkish law.
Founded in 1996, Istanbul Bilgi University was acquired by Can Holding in 2019. The company’s assets were seized by the state last year during an investigation into alleged money laundering, tax evasion, and organised crime. Following the seizure, a state-appointed trustee took control of the university.
Bilgi University is part of the European Union’s Erasmus exchange programme and has long hosted international students from across Europe and beyond.
“An institution built with 30 years of effort was effectively shut down overnight,” Bilgi law professor Yaman Akdeniz wrote on X.
“The constitution is clear – universities are established by law and their closure can only occur by law as well.
“But who cares?” he said.
“In an era without justice or fair trials, it seems the next item on the agenda was to shut down an entire university… We will never remain silent in the face of this lawlessness.”
