13.11.2026 18:00
New Party İzmir MP Gökçe Gökçen sharply criticized YÖK President Erol Özvar's proposal to reduce university education to three years in the TBMM Plan and Budget Committee. Gökçen asked, "Do young women look like breeding animals in your eyes?"
During the discussions of the Ministry of National Education's 2027 budget at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Plan and Budget Committee, the proposal to reduce university education to three years caused debate. İzmir Deputy Gökçe Gökçen, who took the floor in the committee convened under the chairmanship of AK Party Samsun Deputy Mehmet Muş, reacted to the statements of Council of Higher Education (YÖK) President Erol Özvar.
"DO YOUNG WOMEN LOOK LIKE BREEDING ANIMALS TO YOU?"
Associating the shortening of university education with policies to increase fertility, Gökçen criticized the approach behind the proposal. In her speech, Gökçen used the following statements: "We are supposedly going to reduce universities to three years to increase fertility. What kind of fashion is this? Whatever you do, there is a fertility issue behind it. If young women leave university early, they can supposedly give birth to many children. This is also behind this logic. So, excuse me, but do young women look like breeding animals to you?"
"AS IF WE TAKE EUROPE AS AN EXAMPLE IN EVERY MATTER"
Also criticizing YÖK President Erol Özvar for citing European education systems as an example for the three-year university model, Gökçen said, "He cites the European system as an example. As if we were taking the European system as a basis in every other matter."
SHE DREW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Also touching on the problems experienced in higher education in her speech, Gökçen stated that rising living costs directly affect students' education life. She expressed that young people are forced to make their university choices under economic conditions and anxiety about finding a job after graduation. Drawing attention to the inadequacy of student dormitories, Gökçen emphasized that harassment, violence and security problems experienced in dormitories must also be resolved.
"ACADEMIC FREEDOMS ARE AT ROCK BOTTOM"
Also criticizing the working conditions of research assistants, Gökçen stated that academics face serious problems due to uncertainties in their job descriptions and lack of tenure security. Arguing that the future of academic staff depends on administrators' decisions, Gökçen used the following statements: "Academic freedoms are at rock bottom; there is a system built on censorship, self-censorship, arbitrary allocation of positions, job postings tailored to specific individuals, administrative investigations and pressures, and not allowing any academic who does not think like the government to breathe."