New rectors appointed to some of country’s top universities

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed rectors to 13 universities, marking a leadership shift at some of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions.

According to the decree published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 16, Professor Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil from the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), who concurrently served as the Industry and Technology Deputy Minister, has been appointed as the new rector of the university.

This leadership change at ODTÜ, a university consistently ranked among the top educational institutions in the country in various international rankings, follows the eight-year tenure of Professor Dr. Verşan Kök.

In another significant appointment, Professor Dr. Hasan Mandal, the current president of Türkiye’s top scientific council TÜBİTAK, has been named the rector of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), another leading university in the country.

Meanwhile, Uğur Ünal, the head of the state archives under the presidency, has been appointed as the rector of Gazi University in the capital Ankara.

The universities of Atatürk, Trakya, Dicle, Istanbul Esenyurt, Istanbul Ticaret, Adana Alparslan Türkeş and Çukurova will be governed by new rectors for the next four years.

Additionally, the current rectors of Ankara University, Akdeniz University and Fırat University have been reappointed for another four-year term.

Expressing his gratitude, Ankara University’s Professor Dr. Necdet Ünüvar wrote on X, "I once again extend my heartfelt thanks to our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for the trust he has placed in me.”

The decree published in the Official Gazette also announced changes within the General Directorate of Security, appointing Mahmut Demirtaş, who has served as the governor in the northwestern province of Bursa, as the new head of the police department. The heads of security in 16 out of the country's 81 provinces have been changed.