Turkey has reversed a decision to revoke the operating license of Istanbul Bilgi University, according to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Monday, following a request from the Higher Education Council (YOK). The decree rescinds a May 22 presidential decision that had stripped the university of its licence after its founding foundation was placed under trusteeship following a criminal investigation last year.
Private Istanbul Bilgi University, founded in 1996 and acquired by Can Holding in 2019, was among companies taken over by the authorities in a probe into alleged money laundering, tax evasion and organised crime.
A trustee was appointed to run the university following the seizure. It has around 22,000 students, with roughly 3,400 enrolling in 2025.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reversed the decision to revoke the license to take into account expectations of students and academics, YOK head Erol Ozvar said in a post on X.
Bilgi University students have been demonstrating on the campus since Friday to protest the decision to close the institution. [Reuters]
