On May 21, 2026, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan issued a decree that revoked the license of İstanbul Bilgi University, shutting down the university immediately. The decree was reversed a few days later on May 25, 2026.

İstanbul Bilgi University was founded in 1996 and sold in 2019 to the Can Holding group, a commercial conglomerate. In September 2025, the Turkish state seized Can Holding, after the Kucukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a fraud investigation into the group. All companies linked to Can Holding, including İstanbul Bilgi University, were placed under the management of the state’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).

Around midnight on May 21, 2026, President Erdoğan issued a decree the revoked İstanbul Bilgi University’s operating license in accordance with Additional Article 11 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547, which allows the Council of Higher Education (YÖK)—the government body that manages the country’s universities—to shut down higher education institutions if their quality of education is “inadequate” and if no actions are taken to remedy the situation. The university had recently passed standard quality accreditations, leading analysts to view Additional Article 11 as a legal pretext.

The closure, which came just before the final exam period in June, was implemented immediately. Campus gates were chained and riot police deployed in response to protests. The shutdown affected more than 20,000 students, 900 academics, and 600 administrative personnel.

On May 25, President Erdoğan issued another sudden decree formally reversing the closure.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the delicensure of a higher education institutions by a national policymakers. State authorities have a responsibility to refrain from encroaching on university autonomy and should not be permitted to impose undue pressure on universities’ academic decisions. Even when reversed, such actions undermine university autonomy and inhibit institutions’ ability to function freely, undermining academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://bianet.org/haber/istanbul-bilgi-university-shut-down-by-presidential-decree-319833
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260529125224956
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/istanbul-bilgi-university-reopens-after-presidential-shutdown-linked-to-fraud-case-3220611?s=1
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/turkeys-reversed-university-closure-edict-cock-or-conspiracy