You are thinking about doing your Masters in Turkey, or you are in Turkey and are interested in post-graduate studies abroad? In both cases you are probably wondering what the recent developments in the country will change in the higher education sector and how it will affect your future educational goals.

What happened?

After the failed military coup on the 16th of July, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded the suspension of thousands of people working in the education sector, many of them - university personnel, professors and higher administrative staff. 21 000 teachers had their licenses withdrawn and among the suspended were over 1 500 university deans - Turkey’s higher education authority demanded the resignation of every university dean in the country – of 1176 state and 401 private universities.

The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) made the following statement, condemning the suspensions and some other measures taken by the government:

“We have grave concern and alarm that apparently 1577 university deans have been suspended, thousands of licenses of teachers have been cancelled, all academics have been banned from leaving Turkey, and Turkish academics have been called back from abroad.”

Meanwhile, some of the suspended deans were cleared of suspicion for supporting the ideas of the coup and have been allowed to act on their previous duties. The temporary ban on overseas travels for academics has been lifted. However, as international media point out, this situation has shaken one of the most important pillars for the Turkish society – the education system. Local academics have spoken in concern, fearing the possible suppression personal freedoms and also that the move will cause top scholars to leave the country.
On the other hand, many Turkish media defend the move as an opportunity for a future positive change in the educational sector. Indeed, in the official statement by the Turkish government, the suspension of the university deans was defended as a move to further strengthen the autonomy of the universities and thus be “for the sake of democracy”.

The situation now

According to statistics, the interest among Turkish students for studying abroad has increased. Only time will show whether this is a steady trend or just a one-off event, provoked by the risen uncertainty.
If you are a Turkish student, looking for a Masters abroad, the MASTERS AND MORE Search can help you find the study of your dreams.
If you are interested in studying in Turkey, you will find useful information on the admission, living costs and tuition fees, as well as general information on the education system in our article.

www.hurriyetdailynews.com
www.theparliamentmagazine.eu
www.timeshighereducation.com