Our universities welcome diverse views, says president

OTHER than views supporting terrorism and violence, Turkish universities welcome a broad range of views, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday.

“There is a place in our universities for any view, no matter how rigid they are, as long as they are not involved in violence and do not bless terrorism,” Erdoğan told a ceremony ushering in the new school year at Erciyes University in central Kayseri province.

Erdoğan said over the last 16 years Turkey has taken major steps not only in the areas of economy, health and infrastructure, but also in liberalizing universities.

“We know very well that Turkish universities are enjoying the most liberal, independent and powerful era in their history,” he added. Erdoğan said no civilized country could allow terrorism to take root at universities, adding: “Because spreading terrorist propaganda cannot be considered freedom of thought in any democratic country in the world.”

He added that Turkey places importance on reflecting social differentiation at universities since they have to carry a universal identity. Erdoğan also stressed Turkey’s role as a country that is able to step into regional issues such as the Syrian civil war and Iraq.

“Today, Turkey is a country that intervenes in regional problems, such as Syria and Iraq, and can apply all types of necessary measures for the continuity of the state,” Erdoğan said. Turkey is sitting at the table and has taken the field in international issues, he said. “This effort can’t be maintained by leaving the table or the field to someone else,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey is always aiming higher. Turkey has carried out two major cross-border operations in Syria since 2016 - Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch - to rid border areas of terrorist groups such as the PKK/PYD (Democratic Union Party), which threaten both Turkey and the local population.

To help Syrian civilians, it has also championed initiatives such as de-escalation zones, while sending humanitarian aid and urging an end to offensives that target these civilians. In cross-border strikes in northern Iraq, Turkish forces have sought to eliminate the hideouts of the PKK, a terrorist group that has taken some 40,000 lives in Turkey, including women and children.