Abstract:

For about 50 years İlhan Tekeli has been a paramount figure who has written many articles and books on higher education issues in Turkey. This study focuses on how Tekeli discusses Turkey's higher education history, problems and autonomy in higher education, evolution of higher education, growth and quality issues. Tekeli claims, in 1946 universities became au-tonomous and the autonomy constitutionalized with the 1961 Constitution, which gave universities a broader autonomy. But after the establishment of the Board of Higher Education (BHE) in 1981, universities lost their autonomy, and were put under the control of central administration with the increased pressure over the universities. Tekeli defined administra-tive autonomy as a key feature of the university. For Tekeli, extremely strong and exceptional powers of rectors bring about hardly impossible to mention the freedom of faculty members and a participatory administration.Tekeli stated that there is a need for a reform that will provide autonomy and make universities more democratic. Also, Tekeli emphasized that expansion of the higher education system cannot be assured by without giving priority to the training of qualified doctorate academics

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