For years YOK [Higher Education Council or YOK in Turkish]...has lost no opportunity to claim that the Turkish Universities are modeled after the “Western system”, and are even more autonomous than their counterparts. These claims, blatantly contradicted by the facts, have met with no effective criticism western Institutions. Rather, an increasing number of such institutions have extended support for the new system, in terms of both material and human resources....The time is long past for the international academic community to seriously reconsider its quiescence in the face of the Turkish regime’s repression of the universities, and to take up solidarity with their colleagues. (Savran et al, 1987, p.26)



It has been 20 years since this statement was published. Transition to democracy in 1982 by a new constitution did not create a significant change in higher education. 25 years later Turkish higher education is still managed by the very same militaristic mentality.

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