Foundation of Erdoğan’s children to establish university
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan is the board member of TÜRGEV. DHA Photo
The Turkish Parliament has passed a bill allowing for the establishment of eight new universities, including a university owned by a foundation with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s children as board members.With the bill, the Service for Youth and Education Foundation of Turkey (TÜRGEV), a charity nongovernmental organization that counts Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan and his daughter Esra Albayrak as board members, has been granted the right to found the Ibn Haldun University, along with other seven universities.
Ibn Khaldun, the university’s namesake, was an Islamic philosopher in the 14th century, who focused on sociology, historiography, economics and political science. While the Ibn Haldun University plans to establish seven faculties in Istanbul, opposition deputies objected to the permission given to TÜRGEV during debates on the bill at parliament early on April 1.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Alim Işık said TÜRGEV was known as a “blemish on society” for its unfair donations and its granting of privileges in return for pledges to donate public property.
“There is no money that has been earned honestly by them. It will not bring goodness to the country,” said Işık.
CHP criticizes TÜRGEV
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ali Serindağ said it was “remarkable” that hefty donations were made to the foundation both inside and outside the country, saying this showed the foundation was only engaging in “peddling influence.”
However, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Bülent Turan refuted all the allegations against TÜRGEV and said it, like all other foundations, was also being regularly inspected by the necessary authorities.
With the bill, the Turkey International Islam, Science and Technology University; İstinye University; Bandırma Sept. 17th University; İskenderun Technical University, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University; AKEV University; and Rumeli University were also granted permission to open.
The Turkey International Islam, Science and Technology University will consist of seven faculties, including a faculty dedicated to “Islamic sciences and medicine,” along with three institutes. A support foundation will be established to support the university, and the bill stated that the Finance Ministry will transfer 10 million Turkish Liras to the General Directorate of Foundations to this end. A total quota of 4,412 people will be employed at the university, 3,320 of them on the academic staff.
