maybe they failed to take the requisite social media training to maintain it?
Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
41–50 of 466 posts
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#42The really interesting news here is that in Turkey you need a degree to run for president.
I'm sure it sounded like a good idea at the time but this proves once again these kind of limitations placed on leadership positions can and will be exploited.
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Turkish educational system, honorary degrees are only applicable to the institute granting the degree itself. You instead need to have an earned degree to be able to use the privileges outside the institute granting the degree.
I'm sure this will come soon to the US with our new overlords looking for new dystopian ideas.
In the US, what are the privileges that you earn by possessing a degree?
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#44This is not only revoking his diploma, but establishing a very dangerous precedent in Turkey: "all rights are temporary and can be revoked on a whim"
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Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#45Equally shitty is the fact that 27 other people probably got their degrees annulled, just as a cover your ass measure from the unis side.
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
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India is quite big. Any Indians around here want to comment on whether these shenanigans are common there? I have the impression they're not but maybe I'm wrong. Talking about India, Lex Fridman interviewed Modi [1] recently, worth a listen or read. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43405546
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#47Erdogan worries me as a NATO partner. They're incredibly important geopolitically.
The rule of law appears to be disappearing, and its turning into a Lukashenko/Putin situation.
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#48The Trump administration is similarly trying to purge / stifle academic institutions and bend them to their uses.
For example, the Trump administration has told Columbia to dissolve specific academic departments. See this earlier discussion:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43358925
The US and Turkish governments are operating under the same authoritarian rules of engagement, it's just that the Turks are further along the trajectory.
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#49Why did they annul it? I'm assuming they gave a reason, not sure if that's a reasonable assumption.
Real reason: Opposition (CHP) is the first party since the local elections and it is almost certain that Imamoglu will replace Erdogan in the next elections. CHP primaries will be held this weekend and Imamoglu was the sole candidate.
Made-up reason: Imamoglu transfered to Istanbul University from a foreign university (Cyprus) in 1990. They claimed that university was not accredited by Turkish Higher Education Council. That was not really a requirement for the transfer at the time and the universities used to have more autonomy. Today they also annuled the degrees of 28 more people who did the same thing in 1990, just for the optics. I think one of them is a college professor.
Re: Turkish university annuls Erdogan rival's degree, preventing run for president
#50I am from Turkey and this really concerns me. If we don't protest this in the streets and fight back I am afraid we don't have any kind of law anymore.
Given that people are being arrested for the most stupid reasons in Turkey, I can understand people not wanting to put their life on the line. 10 years ago I could have seen people protesting (see Gezi park protests) but now ? Not really.
What's worse is that somehow plenty of Turk are fine with it. Inflation above 100% for long time, crappy salaries, people can't even afford rents but the leader's party still get about 30% of the votes.
This is also a lesson for fellow Americans: don't think that just because Trump won't be able to lower the price of the eggs, will make rural voters miserable and make America a worse place means that at the next election you get rid of him. Once the environment is set up properly, anything can be justified, and with the right mindset the voter will accept any bullshit. Remember, "we always have been at war with Eastasia"