US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7691

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007691 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR ECA/A/L; ECA/A; EUR/PPD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2013 
TAGS: KPAO, OEXC, SCUL, TU 
SUBJECT: NEW HIGHER EDUCATION PRESIDENT TAKES OVER TURKEY'S 
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM 
 
 (U) Classified by DCM Robert S. Deutsch for Reason: 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: On December 8, President Sezer appointed 
Erdogan Tezic, the rector of Galatasaray University, as head 
of the Higher Education Council (YOK), replacing Kemal Guruz. 
 Like President Sezer, Erdogan Tezic is a specialist in 
constitutional law, having served as a law professor in 
Istanbul University and a legal advisor to the parliament, 
and as a member of YOK.  Kemal Guruz's eight-year tenure as 
the president of YOK was marked by controversy.  While 
strengthening U.S.-Turkey exchanges and imposing much-needed 
discipline, he was accused of being more interested in 
rooting out Islamic elements in universities than in raising 
the level of education.  YOK exerted tight control over a 
centralized university system, overruling the elections of 
some rectors while imposing a one-size-fits-all university 
system.  Kemal Guruz was uncompromising during his tenure; 
most recently, he fought against the AK government's new 
higher education draft law, which would transfer many aspects 
of control over the univers 
ity system from YOK to the government.  In his public 
comments over the years, new YOK chairman Tezic has advocated 
a more flexible "framework" in which universities are free to 
develop and specialize within broader guidelines and exercise 
more power over their own budgets.  Returning more control to 
the universities would, in theory, please both sides of the 
debate.  End Summary. 
 
 
------------ 
What is YOK? 
------------ 
 
 
2. (U) While the Minister of Education is in charge of 
education at all levels, in practice, higher education has 
been a prerogative of the YOK, with secondary education 
falling under the purview of the Ministry of Education.  YOK 
was set up in 1982 by the military junta running the country 
after the 1980 coup.  At present, YOK determines the budgets 
for the universities, the number of personnel at each 
university, the number of students, the salaries of teachers 
at different grades, and even the curriculum for departments 
such as education.  YOK also controls the university entrance 
examination system with rules making it virtually impossible 
to enter a department in a university different from one's 
specialization in high school.  Rectors are largely selected 
by YOK, which forwards three of the top six candidates 
elected by the university staff to the President of Turkey, 
who in turn selects one.  It has happened in the past that 
the candidate who received the least number of votes out of 
the six became rec 
tor; Istanbul University's rigidly secular rector Alemdaroglu 
is an example of this.  Under present law, YOK has 22 members 
equally divided between those selected by the Inter 
University Council (7), the President (7), a council of 
ministers of the government (7), and one from the military. 
 
 
--------------------- 
YOK under Kemal Guruz 
--------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) Under Guruz's tenure, YOK vigorously enforced the law 
forbidding female students wearing headscarves from entering 
Turkish universities, including theology faculties; some 
women theology students wear wigs over their headscarves in 
protest, which adds a touch of the absurd to a situation that 
pleases no one.  Even foreigners must adhere to this ban on 
headscarves.  In a recent international conference held at 
Istanbul University, a plenary speaker from Oman was unable 
to enter the university and deliver her speech because she 
was wearing a headscarf.  YOK also changed the coefficient 
for entrance examinations so that students from vocational 
schools such as the religious Imam Hatip schools have their 
scores multiplied by the normal 0.8 if entering a university 
department in the same branch they studied in high school but 
by only 0.3 if they try to enter another department.  This 
effectively bars Imam Hatip graduates from entering any 
department other than theology.  Dr. Guruz has been accused 
of denyin 
g professorships of candidates whose 
research he viewed as supporting an Islamist ideology. 
 
 
 
 
4. (U) Kemal Guruz presided over a university system that 
expanded almost 80 per cent under his tenure.  Guruz's main 
accomplishment was instilling discipline in the university 
system. He made teachers accountable, while streamlining and 
standardizing the promotion system, requiring, for example, a 
specific number of publications to move to a higher grade. 
He also established a system of diploma equivalency, 
facilitating international exchange. 
 
 
5. (U) Dr. Guruz was an ardent supporter of educational 
exchange programs with the United States. He was instrumental 
in facilitating numerous linkages, both private and 
USG-supported between U.S. and Turkish universities.  He also 
spoke publicly in favor of the U.S. policy in Iraq and of the 
need to root out Islamic terrorism through secular education. 
 He placed a high priority on staff development, sending 
thousands of staff members abroad (mostly to the U.S.) to 
obtain advanced degrees.  During his tenure Turkey moved from 
34th to 22nd in world ratings of quantity of international 
academic publications. 
 
 
------------------------------ 
Recent Educational Controversy 
------------------------------ 
 
 
6. (C) The most controversial item in the draft law to amend 
higher education was the abolition of the coefficient that 
effectively barred Imam Hatip graduates from studying 
subjects other than theology in universities.  This proposed 
change is viewed by the "secular" establishment as an effort 
to pack the university system with Islamists.  Proponents of 
the change counter that Imam Hatip graduates have gone 
through the same regular curriculum as all other high school 
students and that most Imam Hatip students have career goals 
other than becoming preachers. 
 
 
7. (C) Another controversial amendment was the requirement to 
have separate elections for rectors, deans, and the heads of 
the schools, who were to be dismissed before standing for 
election.  By some estimates more than 30,000 university 
administrators would have been dismissed, virtually 
paralyzing the system.  Most university administrators Emboff 
has met state that this would politicize the university 
system with separate voting blocks for each administrator, 
who would be unable to make the necessary tough decisions for 
fear of losing popularity.  AK Party officials argued that 
these changes would bring more democracy into the system. 
Other amendments reduced rectors' terms from two to one and 
transferred many decision-making powers from rectors to 
senates.  All of these changes would take power away from 
rectors, who, according to a highly placed AK-appointed 
official and to a number of professors we have talked to, now 
enjoy more power than government ministers. 
 
 
8. (U) The draft law also reduced the number of YOK council 
members selected by the president and by the Inter University 
Council, while raising the number of members selected by the 
government, effectively ceding control of YOK to the 
government.  Dr. Guruz refused to negotiate with the Ministry 
of Education to change the draft law but did lobby with 
President Sezer and the military to shelve the law.  His 
highly publicized meeting with the Turkish Land Forces 
Commander was condemned as an anti-democratic move even by 
many who are wary of the motives of the draft law's 
proponents.  At the ceremony to launch the academic year at 
Kocaeli University in Izmit, Kemal Guruz refused to shake 
hands with Minister of Education Huseyin Celik.  Since 
negotiations between YOK and the Ministry had broken down, 
the Inter University Council filled the vacuum to write a 
draft law of its own.  In the end, the government's draft 
law, highly flawed and launched without an adequate public 
relations campaign, stirred up so much c 
ontroversy that Prime Minister Erdogan shelved it for the 
near term. 
 
 
------------- 
Erdogan Tezic 
------------- 
 
 
9. (U) Born in Istanbul in 1936, Erdogan Tezic graduated from 
Galatasaray High School, a Francophone institution, in 1955 
and the Istanbul University Law Faculty in 1959.  After 
completing his doctorate studies in the University of Paris 
Law Faculty, Tezic joined at the Istanbul University Law 
Faculty as a constitutional law professor.  Tezic has broad 
administrative experience.  He was principal of the 
Galatasaray High School, chairman of the Constitutional Law 
department of the Law Faculty of the Galatasaray University, 
and assistant rector of the same university.  Dr. Tezic 
served as legal adviser at the Turkish parliament in the 
Speaker's office between 1993 and 2000.  From 2000 until the 
present, he was the rector of Galatasaray University.  Dr. 
Tezic is also guest lecturer at the University of Paris and 
the Rennes I University and has received an Order of Merit 
from the French Government. He has written numerous books and 
articles on politics and law.  Tezic was captain the national 
volleyball team and 
was a member of the Turkish National Olympic Committee as 
well as of the Istanbul Olympic Games Organization Committee 
between 1992 and 1995. 
 
 
10. (C) According to press reports confirmed by Embassy 
sources, upon becoming President in 2000, Sezer asked Erdogan 
Tezic to take over YOK from Kemal Guruz, with whom he had a 
severe personality clash.  Tezic refused, arguing that unless 
malfeasance was involved, the incumbent should be allowed to 
complete his term. 
 
 
11. (C) Although he is known for his opposition to the AK 
Party, Tezic, in one of his first public comments upon being 
selected as chairman of YOK, described his desire to avoid 
controversy.  He stated that he believes that "academic 
values" should take precedence and that problems should be 
solved through negotiations with involved parties, a distinct 
departure from his predecessor.  He has also stated that he 
intends to continue his teaching duties at Galatsaray 
University in order to maintain contact with students. 
According to present members of YOK, Tezic will continue to 
live in Istanbul, working three days a week in Ankara, 
although this has been refuted in recent press reports. 
Tezic is expected to uphold the law but with a more flexible 
approach.  In a recent CNN Turk discussion regarding whether 
women should be allowed into courts and hospitals with their 
heads covered, Tezic made a distinction between scarves, 
which are religious symbols and turbans (more tightly wrapped 
scarves covering all hair), which he asserted are political 
symbols.  Tezic stated that the constitution forbids the 
turban from public places but it is up to the judge to decide 
if the attire disturbs public order.  (Note: It is not the 
Constitution itself but a narrow Constitutional Court ruling 
that defines this ban. End note.)  He stated that no one 
would try to stop a woman wearing a religious, in contrast to 
what he asserted is a political, symbol from entering a 
hospital. 
 
 
12. (C) In televised debates on education, Tezic has proposed 
a framework approach, which allows universities to function 
under broader guidelines than in the present system.  He also 
has proposed giving universities more autonomy in handling 
their budgets.  One Embassy contact remarked that this is a 
win-win situation, which would please the present government 
by leaving room for what he called "Islamic universities" to 
develop, while the university community would free itself 
from an over centralized system. 
 
 
13. (C) The head of the Fulbright Commission reported to us 
after visiting YOK that YOK believes Tezic is as good a 
choice as any under present circumstances.  Known as a 
staunch supporter of Kemal Guruz, Tezic is expected to defend 
a secular university system without Guruz's pugnacious 
approach.  One Embassy contact remarked that it was no 
coincidence that we are now seeing demonstrations by students 
unable to enter educational facilities with headscarves. 
 
 
14. (C) Comment: Kemal Guruz's many accomplishments were 
often overshadowed by his uncompromising approach and 
willingness to pick a fight.  While some aspects of the new 
draft law need to be radically altered or abandoned, Guruz's 
unwillingness to negotiate handed the task of drafting a new 
higher education law to another body, the Inter University 
Council, leaving YOK with no say in the bill's future. 
Tezic's initial public statements indicate a willingness to 
negotiate and work with the parties involved in shaping 
Turkey's education system.  There is widespread speculation 
that the Inter University Council will now return the task of 
writing the draft law to YOK.  However, given the fact that 
the government has its own plans and wants to pass the law by 
the end of January 2004, there is a possibility that the new 
draft law may change the way YOK is constituted, which would 
require Tezic to step down after only one month in office. It 
is unlikely that Tezic, with his strong academic ties to 
Europe, will be 
as forward leaning in his promotion of U.S.-Turkey 
educational ties as was his predecessor. 
EDELMAN