Tüm Haberler ve Duyurular Arşivi - İstanbul - Bilgi Üniversitesi
Haber ve Duyuru Arşivi
www.bilgi.edu.trShort answer: Yes. Istanbul Bilgi University’s operating licence has been revoked following a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on 22 May 2026, effectively closing the university.
Details and context:
- The decision followed a protracted oversight process after Can Holding and its affiliated foundation were placed under trusteeship by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in 2025, amid investigations into financial and administrative irregularities.[2][4][6]
- The governing foundation of the university was placed under trustees, and the authorities invoked the Higher Education Law, which allows suspension or revocation of operating licenses for institutions under trustee management. The Official Gazette entry explicitly states that the university’s operating licence was removed due to the trusteeship of the founding foundation.[3][6][2]
- Media outlets reported that students and academic staff would be affected, with references to transfer or reallocation to eligibility-neutral or guarantee institutions as applicable under Turkish higher education policy.[6][2]
- Several outlets corroborated that the action was taken by presidential decree and published in the Official Gazette on May 22, 2026, confirming the closure status.[7][3][6]
What this means for current students:
- The university will no longer operate as a degree-granting higher education institution.
- In many such cases, the state coordinates student transfers to legally equivalent institutions to continue their education, but the exact arrangements depend on the policies of YÖK (Council of Higher Education) and the guarantee university involved. In this case, media coverage indicated Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University as a potential guarantor option for continuing education, but official channels should be consulted for each student’s case.[3][7]
Citations:
- Istanbul Bilgi University closing decision reported by BBC Turkish with details on licence revocation following trustee appointment.[2]
- Official Gazette-based reporting confirming the licence revocation under the 2547 Higher Education Law and trustee framework.[3]
- Additional corroboration from TimeTurk and other outlets describing the presidential decree and closure implications.[4][7]