Türkiye's President Erdogan allows Istanbul Bilgi University to reopen after student protests

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revoked the decree closing Istanbul Bilgi University after three days of protests, led by students, and a police crackdown.

The private institution was closed on 22/05/2026 by presidential decree due to being placed under state trusteeship eight months prior, following a criminal investigation into its owner, Can Holding.

The protests lasted three days, until Erdogan revoked the initial decree on 25/05. During the protests, several students were arrested by the police. Turkish media have not reported an official number.

The initial closure sparked a lot of opposition from students and faculty members, who started marching outside the university on the same day, while many expressed concerns about academic freedom.

It was suspected that the closure of the university could be due to its liberal tendencies (the university was home to the first student LGBT association in Türkiye, Gokkusagi, founded in 2007) and international inclination. The institution is an active participant in Erasmus+, a full member of the European University Association…