Trustee Appointed to Foundation Co-Founded by Former PM Davutoğlu

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The state has seized the control of the Foundation for Sciences and Arts (BİSAV), which was the founder of İstanbul Şehir University.

Among the founders of the BİSAV was also Ahmet Davutoğlu, a former Prime Minister from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Davutoğlu has recently established a new political party, the Future Party.

As reported by daily Karar, a committee of three trustees from the General Directorate for Foundations went to the BİSAV and informed the Foundation that they were appointed as a trustee in their place.

The executive committee of the BİSAV is expected to lodge an objection against the appointment of trustees.

Özel: A dangerous action

Shortly after trustees were appointed to the Foundation, BİSAV Board of Regents founding chair Mustafa Özel has released a written statement:

Özel has stated the following in brief:

"On January 21, 2020, a committee of three people appointed by the General Directorate for Foundations took over the administration of the Foundation for Sciences and Arts.

"Previously, on December 19, 2109, İstanbul Şehir University was handed over to Marmara University, the patron university, by the decision of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) General Board.

"As a continuation of this unlawful practice, our foundation serving the educational and cultural life of our country for forty years was deemed worthy of such treatment, which complies with neither the law, nor justice.

"This arbitrary attitude is a grave step that could inflict great harm on our hundreds of years of foundation history and it is also a dangerous action that could affect not only the Foundation for Sciences and Arts, but all foundations in our country as well."

İstanbul Şehir University previously handed over

The control of İstanbul Şehir University owned by the Foundation for Sciences and Arts was also seized. On December 19, 2019, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) decided to temporarily hand over İstanbul Şehir University to Marmara University, the guarantor university.

Releasing a written statement, the YÖK indicated that the official authorization of the university was temporarily suspended as per the Article 25/d-3 of the Regulation on Foundation Higher Education Institutions.

As the reason for its decision, the YÖK stated, "It has been understood that the current financial condition of the university has come to a point where it can no longer continue its educational activities, it will increase the suffering of students, academic and administrative personnel and it has become inevitable that its education and training activities will be hindered."

(EKN/SD)