Erdoğan reverses closure of Istanbul Bilgi University after protests

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday reversed his decision to close Istanbul Bilgi University, a decree published in the official gazette showed, hours after hundreds of students and lecturers demonstrated outside the main campus demanding its reopening.

Erdoğan had ordered the closure on Friday, citing a law allowing for the closure of a private institution if "the expected level of education and training...is insufficient," a charge rejected by Bilgi students and staff. "We will stay here until the university reopens its doors," said student union activist Emir Aydogan, demonstrating at the university on Sunday.

The university was seized in September 2025 as part of a criminal investigation into its owner, Can Holding. The Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched the investigation that month, alleging that the group's principals had established a criminal organisation and engaged in money laundering and tax evasion. Detention orders were issued for 10 people, including principals Mehmet Şakir Can, Kemal Can and Kenan Tekdağ. As part of the operation, 121 Can Holding companies were seized and placed under the management of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). Among those seized were the television channels Habertürk and Show TV, the financial news channel Bloomberg HT, the Doğa school network, and Istanbul Bilgi University.

Can Holding acquired Istanbul Bilgi University in 2019 for $90 million. Founded on 7 June 1996 as Turkey's fourth private foundation university, Bilgi has more than 20,000 students from both Turkey and abroad and participates in the EU's Erasmus exchange programme.