According to the current education system in Turkey, universities hold elections within their institutions for the position of rector, but the ultimate decision lies with the president. Erdogan has repeatedly insisted that the abolition of the election system would be beneficial for the country.
Speaking to Sputnik Turkey, Aylar stressed that the elections of a university rector has long turned into a kind of theatrical performance in Turkey. She attributed the latest intervention in the higher education system to the growing strengthening of presidential power.
"The current interference indicates the ever-increasing presidential influence in not only Turkey's higher education sector but in all other spheres as well. This trend is felt with every new presidential decree. As for the universities, speaking of their independent significance as institutions is already irrelevant," she said.
"Unfortunately, this will lead to a new culture and a new academic identity. There will be no room for those who express opposing views given that the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party has already transformed universities into an inseparable part of its system," she said.
She recalled that the higher educational establishments traditionally made a considerable impact on the Turkish political system, with all the structures within a university known to take an independent position that was out of line with "the political orientation of the authorities."
"What we see now is the authorities' drive to fully control and determine the policy of all structures in the university system, starting with the rector's chair," Aylar said.
According to her, if any university opposes the process, the rector of this educational establishment university will be appointed from another university, something that she stressed nullifies its independence.
In July 2016, the Turkish Ministry of Education said in a statement that at least 15,200 of Turkey's education workers had been suspended over an attempt to overthrow the Turkish government earlier that month.