Türkiye's president reverses decision to shut down Istanbul Bilgi University

Istanbul Bilgi University/ File: Euronews

Istanbul Bilgi University had been shut down since Friday after a presidential decree ordered the suspension of its activities in the middle of the academic year. The decree cited a law allowing the closure of private institutions if the quality of education is considered insufficient. Students and faculty members, however, strongly rejected the allegations, according to Euronews.

Hundreds of students and lecturers gathered outside the university’s main campus on Sunday to protest the closure. Student union activist Emir Aydogan said demonstrators would remain at the campus until the university reopened.

The decision came eight months after the state seized the university’s owner, Can Holding, as part of a criminal investigation into alleged fraud, money laundering and tax evasion. Turkish prosecutors launched the investigation in September 2025, accusing company executives of establishing a criminal organisation.

As part of the operation, 121 companies linked to the holding were confiscated and transferred to the control of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund. The seized assets included media outlets such as Habertürk, Show TV and Bloomberg HT, as well as the Doğa school network and Istanbul Bilgi University.

Investigators claimed that large sums of money of unknown origin had been transferred through companies operating under the holding in an attempt to conceal their source. Authorities also alleged that forged documents were used to reduce tax liabilities and that some activities were directly financed through criminal revenues.

Founded in 1996 as Turkey’s fourth private foundation university, Istanbul Bilgi University currently has more than 20,000 local and international students. The university also participates in the Erasmus Programme exchange programme and is known for its internationally recognised academic staff.