Trustee admin at Boğaziçi University transfers new hire from foundation involved with child abuse scandal

The administration of Boğaziçi University has appointed as assistant secretariat a trustee of the Ensar Foundation, known for its involvement in a child abuse scandal in central Turkey’s Karaman province. The new hire also served under an AKP mayor between 2019 and 2024.

Sunday August 25 2024 10:25 pm

Duvar English

The administration of Turkey’s public Boğaziçi University has appointed Vahap Doğan as deputy general secretary.

Doğan serves on the board of trustees at the Ensar Foundation, an Islamic foundation that was involved in a child abuse scandal at their religious education center in central Turkey’s Karaman province.

Doğan also served as deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Pendik district under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from 2019 to 2024, according to reporting by the online news outlet PolitikYol.

Boğaziçi University had previously hired several individuals with ties to AKP municipalities, revealing the extent of cronyism at the institution after the trustee administration took office in 2021.

Uğur Kandemir, who worked at the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) during the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s AKP administration, was appointed assistant secretary-general at Boğaziçi University. Bahattin Toptaş, who also worked at İSKİ, became a branch manager at the university, and Abdülbasit Körük, another İSKİ employee, was also hired. These three individuals were transferred to the AKP-led Hatay Municipality some two months ago.

Recently, Nihat Mutlu, who served as deputy mayor of Beykoz Municipality during the AKP era, was appointed head of the university's Administrative and Financial Affairs Department. Muhammed Acar, a former chief of staff at Beykoz Municipality, was made branch manager of support services.

Additionally, Ramazan Kesik, who began his career at İSKİ under the AKP, was appointed head of the Health, Culture, and Sports Department.

In 2021, Turkish President Erdoğan appointed Naci İnci as rector, a pro-government figure who took a harsh stance against protesting students and academics.

Apart from routinely inviting police to enter the campus to detain students, İnci also initiated a caderisation process across multiple administrative ranks at the university.