Turkish Universities Host Panels on Gaza Education Destruction

Afyon Kocatepe University, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Bursa Technical University, and Karabük University each hosted panels this week under the Higher Education Council's "Science Cafe" initiative focused on Gaza's universities. The events featured Palestinian academics joining via live link from Gaza and Jerusalem to describe conditions on the ground.

Speakers reported that more than 63 university buildings and campuses in Gaza have been completely or partially destroyed since October 2023. Al-Azhar University suffered 90 percent damage, while the Islamic University and Al-Aqsa University were also heavily affected. Before the war, approximately 89,000 students were enrolled in Gaza's higher education institutions.

“The first war in Palestine was an education war. Because when Israel entered Palestine, they first wanted to cut off the people's education and closed all universities and schools.”

Dr. Burak Çakırca of Bursa Technical University stated that 1,271 university students and more than 226 academic staff members have been killed. Jerusalem University Vice Rector Dr. Raafat Jouda said hundreds of doctors and professors have died and nearly 3,000 students from Jerusalem University alone have been killed, calling it "the first education war in history."

Afyon Kocatepe University's Prof. Dr. Şuayıp Özdemir said over 70,000 Palestinians have died since October 7, including many students and teachers, and noted Israel's order for teachers to return to work on September 19 despite ongoing attacks. Ondokuz Mayıs University's Prof. Dr. Alper Kesten described a "great genocide" that has stripped children of their right to education.

Palestinian academics described students attempting to continue studies online amid displacement, power outages, and loss of family members. Karabük University's panel emphasized academic cooperation opportunities, while all events stressed the need for international academic solidarity to preserve Gaza's academic memory and rebuild its higher education system.