A sweeping higher education reform bill that includes a long-awaited student amnesty has cleared the Turkish Parliament’s Education Commission, paving the way for a parliamentary vote.
The proposal introduces broad changes affecting university admissions, academic integrity, faculty employment and institutional governance.
Under the bill, students whose enrollment was previously terminated — including those who never completed registration despite securing admission — would be allowed to return to their universities, provided they have not benefited from an earlier amnesty. Applications must be submitted within four months of the law’s entry into force, enabling eligible students to resume their studies in the 2026-27 academic year.
Individuals convicted of terrorism, murder, sexual offences, major drug crimes or document fraud, as well as those expelled over links to organizations deemed threats to national security, would remain excluded.
The legislation also grants additional opportunities to final-year students who exceeded the maximum study period, allowing them to complete internships or retake failed coursework. Eligible returning students would also be able to apply for transfers to other programs or equivalent open education courses under certain conditions.
The proposal significantly strengthens penalties for academic misconduct. Academics found to have obtained degrees or titles through ghostwritten theses, articles or research would face dismissal and revocation of their academic credentials, while individuals producing or brokering such work could face substantial judicial fines. The bill also introduces prison sentences for operating or promoting unauthorized higher education institutions or academic programs in Türkiye.
Other provisions would allow state universities to establish overseas campuses, enable professors to remain in service on renewable contracts until the age of 75, create new academic positions at 48 universities, expand security screening for academic staff and reorganize several higher education institutions. The bill also revises disciplinary procedures and supports joint technology transfer offices to commercialize university research.
