17 March 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Seven new state universities are to be established in the cities of İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Bursa, Konya, Kayseri, and Erzurum once the relevant legislation is approved, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek announced on Monday.
Çiçek announced plans for the new universities at a press conference following Monday’s Cabinet meeting. Çiçek said the legislation commissioning the universities is awaiting ministers’ signatures. “The situation in those provinces calls for more universities to be opened,” Çiçek added.The new universities are to include Medeniyet University in İstanbul, Yıldırım Beyazıt University in Ankara, Turgut Reis University in İzmir and Orhan Gazi University in Bursa as well as universities in Konya, Kayseri and Erzurum that will operate under the names of those provinces. In the last few years, Turkey has made a huge leap forward in the number of higher education institutions. There are currently 141 universities in the country, 60 of which were established in the last four years.
