Union of bars files case against switch to remote education due to earthquakes

Only the fire tower of a guesthouse of Hatay's Mustafa Kemal University was left standing after the quakes. (Photo: AA)

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The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has filed a case demanding the reversal of a decision to switch universities to distance education.

The decision was spurred by the massive earthquakes on February 6 as part of the efforts to resettle earthquake survivors.

Filing a case with the Council of State, the top administrative court of the country, the TBB argued that the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) exceeded its authority by taking such a decision.

The relevant law does not authorize the YÖK but the universities to determine the form of education, it said.

The decision was taken "despite the adverse opinion of education scientists" and "without much consideration and necessary planning," the union further argued.

Also, such a practice would prevent students from fully accessing the right to education, the TBB said, demanding the Council of State inspect whether it was of public interest.

What happened?

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 11 said universities would switch to online education until the end of the school year and their dormitories would be used as guesthouses for earthquake survivors.

After the statement, the YÖK said the school year would be completed via distance education.

On February 6, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş. The first quake in the Pazarcık district at 4.17 a.m. was followed by the second one in Elbistan about nine hours later.

The quakes affected 11 cities in Türkiye's south and southeast, as well as Syria's northern parts.

The official death toll from the quakes stands at over 44,000 and is expected to increase further, as over 160,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures.

Nearly two million people have been displaced due to the earthquakes.

At least 203 people were arrested in investigations into collapsed buildings. (AEK/VK)