Academic year opening ceremony to be held at the Presidential Palace from now on!
The first of the academic year opening ceremonies that are to take place at the Presidential Palace will be held on October 18th this year.
According to the reports of Ceyda Karaaslan from Sabah newspaper, about 2000 academicians, along with rectors and administrative officers, as well as successful students, of state and foundation universities have been invited to next week’s ceremony.
Stating that they (AKP officials) aim to ‘turn these ceremonies into traditional state organizations’, President of Board of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Yekta Saraç said: ‘Opening of academic years will become a feast!’
This year, the opening of the new judicial term was also held at the Presidential Palace for the first time, despite reactions from various parts of the society and political platforms. Having expressed that holding the judicial opening ceremony at the Presidential Palace ‘would hinder the independence and objectivity of the judiciary’, CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu and Head of Turkish Bar Association Metin Feyzioğlu had not attended the organization. While MHP Chair Bahçeli attended without any objection, HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş had criticized the athmosphere felt during the ceremony by saying that ‘it was a shame to see judges and other legal experts to stand up and applaud the president.’
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/akademik-yil-acilis-torenleri-artik-saray-da-yapilacak-130843.html