Boğaziçi’s appointed rector establishes foundation at university

Duvar English 

Prof. Dr. Naci İnci, who was appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the rector of Istanbul's prestigious Boğaziçi University in August 2021, has established a foundation called Boğaziçi University Development Foundation, according to reporting by daily Cumhuriyet. 

The decision was announced in the Official Gazette on Feb. 15.

The purpose of the foundation was declared as "to increase the contributions of universities to humanity by supporting the institutional capacity of all higher education institutions, especially Boğaziçi University."

The assets of the foundation were determined as 250,000 liras.

Among its founders are names and groups known for their links to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) such as the university's General Secretary Hasan Fehmi Topal, AKP deputy İffet Polat, the Boğaziçi graduate organization BURA, as well as BURA head Muhammed Fehim Paluluoğlu.

BURA's first general assembly was attended by the then Prime Minister Erdoğan. The organization had at the time demanded that a mosque be established at the university. 

After the appointment of Prof. Dr. Melih Bulu as the rector by Erdoğan in January 2021, the university's students and academics launched a protest demanding his resignation.

Following months-long protest, Bulu was eventually dismissed from his duty by Erdoğan in July 2021. A month later in August, again via a presidential decree, it was İnci who assumed duty as the rector of the prestigious institution despite the high disapproval rates he received on polls held among the community.

Academics and students are continuing with their protest against İnci's appointment. In this process, some students were detained and stayed behind bars for months.

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