Boğaziçi University rector Melih Bulu ousted

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has replaced a top Turkish university rector whose appointment led to months of student-led protests.

Melih Bulu, the rector of Istanbul's Boğaziçi University, was dismissed from his post by a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on July 15.

Bulu has not yet made a statement regarding the decision, and no official reason has been given for his dismissal.

Mehmet Naci İnci from the Faculty of Science and Literature has been appointed as the acting rector of the major research university.

Erdoğan appointed Bulu as rector of the university in January, but students started protesting, saying that the appointment of Bulu as rector was contrary to the customs of the 158-year-old university.

Founded in the 19th century as Robert College, Boğaziçi University is the first American university outside the U.S. and has always ranked high among other public universities with its quality of education.

Its alumni include former prime ministers, prominent CEOs, film directors and authors.

Rector elections in Turkey were lifted in 2016 with the order of an emergency decree created and passed by the Turkish Council of Ministers.

Though candidate rectors were previously selected among the academics elected by faculty members and students, the regulation allows for the selection to be done only by Higher Education Council (YÖK) members.

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