Turkey expands student amnesty for former university students

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is preparing a new amendment to the Higher Education Law, adding Temporary Article 85. The amendment widens the scope of the 2022 student amnesty, allowing students whose ties to higher education were terminated to re‑register for the 2026‑2027 academic year. Two groups are covered: those who could not benefit from the 2022 Temporary Article 83 and anyone who voluntarily withdrew from university after 1 July 2022, including students who were admitted but never enrolled.

Applicants must submit their request to the institution that terminated their enrollment within four months of the law’s publication in the Official Gazette. Those serving in the military can apply within two months after discharge. The amendment excludes individuals convicted of serious crimes such as terrorism, homicide, torture, sexual offences, child abuse, or drug trafficking, as well as those whose registrations were cancelled for falsified documents.

Beneficiaries will also be allowed to request horizontal transfers if their entrance exam scores meet the minimum for the target programme, and they may move to open‑learning programmes at Anadolu, Ankara, Atatürk and Istanbul universities. The Higher Education Council will set the detailed procedures.