What awaits an academic who has their thesis written by someone else?

Not only are their title and diploma revoked, but they also receive a judicial fine of up to 10,000 days and are dismissed from the profession.

Can everyone previously expelled from school benefit from the amnesty?

No; those convicted of terrorism, intentional killing, sexual assault, and drug-related offenses, as well as those who enrolled with forged documents, are excluded from the scope.

Why can foundation universities be shut down?

Their operating licenses may be revoked in cases of failure to pay their financial debts, improper transfer of resources to the founding foundation, or an extreme decline in educational quality.

LAWS9 August 2026

A Severe Penalty of Up to 20 Thousand Days for Those Who Have a Thesis Written for Money

Official titleLaw No. 7592 on the Amendment of the Higher Education Law and Certain Laws

Law No. 7592, which introduces radical changes to the higher education system, imposes imprisonment and fines on academic ethics violations (having a thesis written for money), provides a comprehensive student amnesty, and increases oversight over foundation universities.

Details of the Regulation

With this statute, significant amendments have been made to Higher Education Law No. 2547. The most notable regulation pertains to academic integrity: academic titles of those who have theses, articles, or books written by others, whether paid or unpaid, will be revoked; those who author these works or mediate them will be subject to severe judicial fines ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 days. Furthermore, the financial and administrative activities of foundation universities have been placed under stricter oversight, defining gradual sanctions ranging from quota restrictions to the revocation of operating licenses for institutions that fail to fulfill their obligations.

Regulations facilitating educational life for students have also been included in the statute. Final-year students who have completed their maximum duration of study have been granted the right to take two additional examinations for courses they failed in order to be able to graduate. In addition, a "student amnesty" has entered into force, granting students who were dismissed for any reason whatsoever, excluding those convicted of terrorism and infamous crimes, the opportunity to return in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Within the scope of administrative and structural changes, the name of Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University was changed to "İstiklal Bilim ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi", and certain faculties were transferred to Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi. Through the schedules annexed to the statute, thousands of new professor, associate professor, and research assistant positions in total have been created across many state universities.

REGAS Commentary

This statute establishes the strictest legal ground in combating illegal structures known as "thesis writing offices" that degrade academic quality. From the perspective of citizens, the greatest good news is the comprehensive right to return granted to those who had to take a break from their education. Meanwhile, increased financial oversight over foundation universities aims to protect students and parents against risks such as gross tuition fee increases or the financial collapse of the institution.

Questions You Might Have

What awaits an academic who has their thesis written by someone else?: Not only are their title and diploma revoked, but they also receive a judicial fine of up to 10,000 days and are dismissed from the profession.
Can everyone previously expelled from school benefit from the amnesty?: No; those convicted of terrorism, intentional killing, sexual assault, and drug-related offenses, as well as those who enrolled with forged documents, are excluded from the scope.
Why can foundation universities be shut down?: Their operating licenses may be revoked in cases of failure to pay their financial debts, improper transfer of resources to the founding foundation, or an extreme decline in educational quality.

Key Terms

İhdas: The legal creation of a new post or unit.
İltisak: The state of having a non-organic but close or parallel relationship with a structure or group.
İntörn: The practical training period conducted in a hospital at the final stage of education in medicine and similar departments.
Garantör Üniversite: The state university that will take over education in the event that a foundation university ceases its operations.

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