Sevda Karaca: We Will Protect Academics Against the 'Summer Purge'

Following the start of the summer break at Turkish universities, a new wave of academic dismissals has begun at foundation (private) universities in Istanbul. Sevda Karaca, the Gaziantep representative for the Labour Party (EMEP), strongly criticized these actions during a press conference in Ankara and promised that her party would stand by the academics [1].

University or Trading Post? In her speech, Karaca pointed out that foundation universities are managed like commercial companies despite their non-profit status, stating: "We are faced with a mentality that sees the university as a business, science as a commodity, and the professor merely as an extra cost in the accounting ledger." She emphasized that universities are not places for clearing employers' financial books and that academics should not be treated like seasonal workers [1][3].

Dismissal of Over 150 Academics in Istanbul Reports indicate that at universities such as Arel, Bilgi, Aydın, and Gelişim, the contracts of more than 150 professors were not renewed under the pretext of "contract expiration" or "downsizing." Karaca noted that most of these academics worked in the fields of social sciences, arts, and communication—areas considered "unprofitable sectors" by university investors [2][3].

The Case of Feryal Saygılıgil and Pressure on Critics One of the prominent cases Karaca mentioned was the dismissal of Professor Feryal Saygılıgil from Arel University. According to her, this academic faced pressure and mobbing (psychological harassment) after following up on reports of sexual harassment within the university environment and was eventually fired. Karaca called on the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) to investigate these allegations and university management practices instead of remaining silent [1][2].

Follow-up in the Turkish Parliament The Labour Party of Turkey (EMEP) has brought this issue to the floor of the parliament. İskender Bayhan and Sevda Karaca submitted a parliamentary inquiry to Yusuf Tekin, the Minister of National Education, demanding accountability regarding the job security of academics and the oversight of private universities. They believe that turning universities into "diploma factories" severely threatens not only the rights of professors but also the quality of education and the students' right to learn [2].