Presidents of different universities have joined the ‘yes’ campaign in the social media regarding the upcoming constitutional change that foresees a new presidential system. Presidents of the universities, Adnan Menderes, Düzce and Mardin Artuklu have made their votes public by announcing it over a short video and called out to other university presidents.
CHP Istanbul Deputy Barış Yarkadaş has harshly criticized the presidents who joined this campaign and said, “It is normal to observe that university presidents have become an object for politics, especially after the elections for university presidentship has been abolished and science have been obliterated. University presidents and their deputies are embracing new methods to win the Palace’s favor. No where in the world could you possibly call an individual who embraces such attitude a person of science.”
CHP’s Yarkadaş used the words:
‘It has become a show’
“The constitutional change that foresees a new presidential system didn’t attract the attention AKP expected from the public. The proposal that was passed from the GNAT with a rush hasn’t yet been approved by the president. You are surreptitiously trying to pass the proposal from the parliament, but the president doesn’t yet approve it himself…
AKP and the Palace have started to panic seeing the increasing support for ‘NO’. It is a known fact that they are demoralized after seeing the results of the recent polls. Thus, they are trying to introduce individuals who are admired by the society to draw sympathy to the presidential model. The panic state of football players and singers have jumped to university presidents. It is such a shame that a university president becomes a tool for such political endeavors. Unfortunately, the reason why we find our university presidents in such a situation is the system itself.
We as CHP, have taken out the proposal of president assigning the university presidents from the omnibus bill with our counter votes. However, with a published statutory decree this was made possible. Think of what could happen if the presidential system is embraced when people are already so subdued under the current regime. This attitude from the university presidents is already a reason by itself to why people should vote ‘no’ to this referendum.
‘Watch out for polarizations’
These polarizations would create deep wounds within the public. University presidents decision to make their votes public is wrong and constitutes a crime according to the current regulations. They represent their universities, thus their institutions. In a university there could be academicians that embrace different political views, but the university president who represents that institution can’t make political remarks. The heads of the districts and governors should not become a part of politics. This is the main reason why we are opposing such presidential system. We believe that different entities should operate independent form each other.
Presidential system is the biggest dilemma for our country. I am calling out to our sensitive citizens who heard these remarks made by the university presidents; watch out for these traps, never in the history of our country have our university presidents became so utilized by politics. We are seeing these individuals revealing their votes, when we should commemorate them with their publications and scientific discoveries. Come and we shall say ‘no’ to this and recover our country from this shame.”
