The dean of Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Professor Hasan Herken, resigned over the weekend after he tweeted about the costumes worn by presidential guards at the welcoming ceremony for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last week.
As a first for welcoming foreign dignitaries, 16 members of the presidential guard wore uniforms of soldiers representing the 16 former Turkish empires represented on the presidential logo. Herken's message "Who does this soldier wearing the bathrobe represent?" took significant coverage on social media even though he removed it soon after posting it.
In a written statement over the weekend, Herken said his tweet could not be understood as an insult to the Presidential Office, voicing his regret that some had construed it as such. He said his tweet was exploited by people who were trying to manipulate the elections for the rector's election and had decided to resign in order not to harm the university.
The local Justice and Development Party (AK Party) youth wing last week held a demonstration protesting his tweet before sending a bathrobe to Herken.
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.