Turkish universities adjust 2026-2027 academic calendars for European Games

Turkish universities will adjust their 2026-2027 academic calendars to accommodate the 2027 European Games, which are scheduled to take place in Istanbul from June 16 to June 27, 2027.

Following a request from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the adjustment is intended to prevent logistical conflicts between educational activities and the major sporting event. The changes are specific to the 2026-2027 academic year and involve reducing semester durations from 14 weeks to 12 weeks. To ensure curriculum completion, some institutions may also move the start of the fall semester earlier.

Several universities have already announced updated schedules. Istanbul Bilgi University has moved its fall semester start and course registration forward by one week, with the spring semester concluding on April 25, 2027. Yıldız Technical University has scheduled the start of spring final exams for May 3, 2027, while the Turkish-German University plans to end spring semester classes by April 30, 2027.