Controversy over Tailor-Made Recruitments at Turkish Universities; New Allegations Against AFSÜ

Repetition of Tailor-Made Recruitment Scenarios in Afyonkarahisar

While discussions surrounding controversial recruitments at Afyon Kocatepe University (AKÜ) have not yet subsided, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University (AFSÜ) is now at the center of a similar scandal. According to reports published by local media, including "Afyon Postası," allegations have surfaced suggesting that new recruitment calls at this university are designed so that only one specific individual qualifies [1].

The term "Adrese Teslim Kadro" (Tailor-made recruitment) in the Turkish academic sphere refers to calls where the specialized requirements are so detailed and specific that they appear to be written based on a predetermined individual's resume. This issue has become one of the biggest challenges to educational justice in Turkey in recent years [2].

Was the New Call Drafted for a Professor's Spouse?

According to the allegations, the details of the recent recruitment call at AFSÜ bear undeniable similarities to the educational and research background of the spouse of a current faculty member. Critics believe that including highly specific criteria in the advertisement effectively blocks competition from other qualified applicants and turns the hiring process into an administrative formality to legitimize nepotism [1][3].

This situation has led many PhD graduates and young researchers seeking equal job opportunities to express doubt regarding transparency in higher education institutions. Some news sources have noted that these types of recruitments not only destroy the motivation of elites but also severely decrease the scientific quality of universities [3].

Reactions and Legal Consequences

Although AFSÜ officials have not yet provided a formal and detailed response to these allegations, public and media pressure for an investigation by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has increased. In previous similar cases, some of these calls were canceled after violations were proven, but the repetition of this pattern in two major universities in one province indicates a structural problem [2].

The Turkish academic community is calling for reforms in recruitment laws and stricter oversight of call texts to prevent the inclusion of "special conditions" that are purely personal. As of the publication of this report, discussions on social media and in Afyonkarahisar's academic circles regarding this "tailor-made recruitment" remain intense [1].