Boğaziçi University: Stay of execution for termination of scholarships

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An administrative court in the capital city of Ankara has stopped the execution of the cancellation of scholarships and loans of at least 100 students of Boğaziçi University by the Student Loans and Dormitories Institution (KYK) for protesting Melih Bulu, who was appointed as the rector by President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on January 2.

As reported by BBC Türkçe, upon the application of Buğrahan Gönültaş, one of the students stripped of their scholarships, the Ankara 6th Administrative Court has given a ruling of stay of execution.

'It cannot be a reason for termination'

The court ruling has indicated that "the scholarship of a student shall not be terminated in cases except for the conditions indicated in the related provision of the regulation." The court has stressed that "in executing the administrative act in question, a provision of the regulation that is not currently in force was cited" as the basis for the cancellation:

The fact that law enforcement carried out proceedings of interrogation cannot be a reason for terminating the scholarships in itself.

CLICK - Boğaziçi University: 100 students stripped of scholarships, loans for protesting appointed rector

Speaking to bianet, Abdullah Tıkıç from the Lawyers' Solidarity group previously underlined that the termination of scholarships and loans was in violation of the Law on the Council of Higher Education.

"The action taken by the administration is based on the expression 'involved in incidents of anarchy,' which was removed from the regulation in 2008. So, penalties were given based on an article that isn't currently included in the regulation," the lawyer briefly explained.

As indicated by Tıkıç, the related provision was a part of the regulation in 2004; however, it was removed in 2008. In the regulation that is currently in force in Turkey, there is no such provision that was cited as the reason in the written notification sent to the students within this context.

'Scholarships will be paid again as of July'

Buğrahan Gönültaş, who was detained during the first protests on January 6, 2021 and released afterwards, has briefly said:

"I was detained, but I have not been convicted of anything. A written notice came to my house in Ankara in early May. It was saying that my scholarship was terminated on the basis of a provision which was abolished in 2008. We filed a lawsuit on May 19. They have stalled it off till this week, they requested documents. But, at last, they have given a ruling of stay of execution. My scholarship will start to be paid again as of July."

The stay of execution given in this case is also a legal precedent for other Boğaziçi University students stripped of their scholarships.

What happened?

The Student Loans and Dormitories Institution (KYK) canceled the loans and scholarships of at least 100 students for protesting Prof. Melih Bulu, Boğaziçi University's appointed rector. The students have been asked to start paying back their loans as of July 2023.

Students, academics and alumni of the university have been protesting Bulu since his appointment by a Presidential decision issued on January 2, demanding his resignation and elections for a new rector.

The KYK decision was based on article 30 of the Scholarship-Loan Regulation, which stipulates the termination of loans and scholarships of students who have been suspended from school for at least one semester. (KÖ/SD)