Objection to linked report

Mustafa Acar 24 January 2015

The Hurriet Daily News report, Academics' report exposes dictatorial rectors, which you published a link to on 18 January is far from plausible, it has excessive judgments which are not quite right. Just a few points to mention:

• Rectors cannot appoint the Deans, whom are appointed by YOK (the Turkish Higher Education Authority),
• Secretary General (head of all administrative body) is a permanent position which the Rector cannot change,
• All the administrative staff are placed by the Ministry of Finance based on a centralised exam called ‘KPSS’,
• All the academic staff can be appointed only with the permission of YOK, and the selection process has to be based on objective, measurable criteria (publications, projects, foreign language, experience, etc.
• A rector cannot fire anyone even if he/she does not fulfil his/her duties based on the contract; if he does, Administrative Courts intervene and send him/her back.

So, I cannot see in this picture any kind of “dictatorship” or “rectatorship” as they call it. There might be violations of rights from time to time, as might be the case in any institution, but they have to be judged case-by-case; hasty generalisation would be unfair. Legal ways are open to any kind of administrative decisions.

Professor Dr Mustafa Acar
Aksaray Üniversitesi Rektörü / Rector, Aksaray University
Turkey
http://www.aksaray.edu.tr
http://mustafaacar.com

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