Renovation crisis at Istanbul University: 'We want transparency'

According to Istanbul University students, the campus has "turned into a construction site" and is under the grip of an uncertain "strengthening" process. 

The renovation planned for the main building, which houses the faculties of Economics and Law, is not seen merely as a construction project; students view this process as "part of a systematic policy aimed at severing the university from its center."

Planned 8 Months in Advance

According to tender records, the project was put out to tender on October 24, 2025. The contract, signed on November 13, 2025, under the title "Istanbul University Registered Historical Economics-Law Faculties Amphitheater Building Strengthening and Restoration Completion Work," reveals that the project had actually been planned for a long time but was kept hidden from the students. This tender, awarded to Zem İnşaat Taahhüt AŞ for 530 million 336 thousand 922 TL and conducted via the "exception" method under Law No. 4734, has once again brought the "transparency" problem on campus to light.

'We do not accept it'

Students interpret this process as a continuation of the "temporary" solutions that have been ongoing since 2014. Recalling that students were condemned to prefabricated buildings for years during the restoration process at the Faculty of Political Sciences at that time, students are now worried that the same scenario is being implemented for Law and Economics.

According to law student B.K., they express their reaction with the following words: “Beyazıt is a living space for us with Turkey's largest amphitheater, its historical texture, and its relationship with the square. We do not accept being discarded as 'ignored, pacified elements' without the students' opinions being taken. Is the earthquake risk an excuse, or is it a real technical necessity? We want to see the reports, know the facts, and in short, we want transparency.”

'Campuses Cannot Be the Backyard of Capital'

The university administration's statements, which fluctuate between "there is no final decision" and "it will be finished in three months," have damaged trust among the students.

According to economics student Ş.Ç., "We are concerned about our university's policy of 'commercialization.' The mindset that opened the doors to rent-seeking projects in 2024 by saying 'University Without Walls' is now trying to displace students by citing earthquake risk. As the true owners of the university, we will not allow our campuses to be turned into a construction site and for university components to be excluded from the process.”

On the other hand, students state that there are alternatives to carrying out the renovation without emptying the campus. It is emphasized that periods when education is closed, such as the summer term, should be utilized or that temporary solutions such as steel-constructed structures should be produced.

Istanbul University students, who expect transparency in the process, emphasize that "speech, authority, and decision-making" should belong to the true owners of the university, and they declare that they will use their legal and democratic rights against this unlawful process and will not leave their campus.

News: Cenk BAŞBOĞAOĞLU