President Erdoğan appoints new head of Turkey’s Higher Education Board

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Yekta Saraç (L), who served as the acting head of YÖK after former head Gökhan Çetinsaya was removed from his post, has been appointed as the new head of YÖK by President Erdoğan. AA Photo

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Professor Yekta Saraç as new head of Turkey’s Higher Education Board (YÖK) on Nov. 12.

Saraç, who was the acting head of YÖK after former head Gökhan Çetinsaya was removed from his post, was appointed as the new head of YÖK by President Erdoğan.

Saraç is the brother of former chairman of Ciner Holding Fatih Saraç, who is known as “Alo Fatih.” “Alo Fatih” refers to a leaked telephone conversation between Erdoğan, who was then prime minister, and Fatih Saraç, a high level official of the Habertürk TV station.

Erdoğan called Saraç from Morocco during the Gezi Park protests last June, requesting that he stop broadcasting a speech by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli. In a second leaked recording, Saraç phoned a Habertürk TV editor and relays the Erdoğan's instructions. In a third conversation, he is heard calling Bilal Erdoğan, the president’s son, offering his apologies and saying, “I'm saddened when my big brother [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] gets sad.”

Ankara Social Sciences University Rector Ömer Demir has also been appointed to YÖK by President Erdoğan.

Çetinsaya was removed from his post on Nov. 6, the anniversary of YÖK’s establishment, to be made an adviser to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.