President Erdoğan appoints rector to newly-founded National Defense University

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed a history professor, Erhan Afyoncu, as the rector of the National Defense University, a newly founded institution gathering together former military academies which were closed with a decree law in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Appointment of Afyoncu, also a columnist at daily Sabah, was published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 4.
Afyoncu was chosen by Erdoğan from several names suggested by the Defense Ministry and which were also approved by the prime minister.

The new regulations that were put into force stipulated the establishment of a National Defense University, which is expected to become an umbrella body encompassing all educational institutions of the Turkish Army.
 
With the formation of the university, all current military academies will be closed and all military education will be administered through the newly formed institution. 

The university will be tied to a rector and will feature institutions that will educate staff officers and provide graduate-level education, operate Land Force, Navy Force and Air Force schools, non-commissioned officer colleges and non-commissioned officer vocational schools for higher education.  

The Defense Ministry will be tasked with executing all administrative aspects of the institutions as it will appoint heads for the institutes, hire the necessary academic personnel and regulate admission conditions. 

Erdoğan also announced a decision to close down current military schools, including military high schools, so that all students from various high schools are able to enter military education institutions under the roof of the National Defense University.