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Home/Gaziantep/University/Zirve University

01 — IDENTITY

lockClosedverifiedVerified recorddescriptionDecree Law No. 667

Son güncelleme: May 21, 2026

Zirve University

Zirve University was the first foundation university established in Southeastern Anatolia, founded in 2009 by İpek Kültür Eğitim Vakfı (Ipek Culture Education Foundation) and the industrialist Nakiboğlu family in Gaziantep. At its peak, the university served approximately 9,500 undergraduate and graduate students with 302 academic staff across eight faculties. The university offered programs in English (Engineering, Architecture and Design, Economics and Administrative Sciences) and Turkish (other faculties). It was recognized by TÜBİTAK as one of the top 50 most entrepreneurial and innovative universities in Turkey.

Zirve University
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2009
Founded
2016
Closed
University
Type
Gaziantep
Location

Şahinbey

02 — STORY

Story

A verified chain of events from foundation to closure.

  1. 2009Jan 1, 2009

    University Established

    Zirve University was founded by İpek Kültür Eğitim Vakfı and the Nakiboğlu family as the first foundation university in Southeastern Anatolia.

  2. 2014Jan 1, 2014

    TÜBİTAK Recognition

    The university was recognized among the top 50 most entrepreneurial and innovative universities in Turkey by TÜBİTAK.

  3. 2016gavelClosureJul 23, 2016

    Closure by State Decree

    Zirve University was closed by Decree Law No. 667 along with 14 other universities. All operations ceased and facilities transferred to Gaziantep University.

  4. gavelOfficial GazetteJul 23, 2016

    Official Gazette - Decree Law No. 667

    Open sourceopen_in_new
    newspaperNewsJul 23, 2016

    Scholars at Risk Report

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  5. 2024Visual record
    linkSourceJan 1, 2024

    Wikipedia - Zirve University

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03 — VOICES

Voices and traces

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04 — EVIDENCE

Evidence

Official sources, visual archive, and digital traces.

gavelSources(3)

gavelOfficial GazetteJul 23, 2016

Official Gazette - Decree Law No. 667

Open sourceopen_in_new
linkSourceJan 1, 2024

Wikipedia - Zirve University

Open sourceopen_in_new
newspaperNewsJul 23, 2016

Scholars at Risk Report

Open sourceopen_in_new

placeLocation: before / after

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05 — AFTERMATH

After closure

How building, name, and ownership changed from closure to today.

Following the July 2016 closure decree, Zirve University's campus and all facilities were transferred to Gaziantep University. The campus was renamed 'Gaziantep Üniversitesi 15 Temmuz Yerleşkesi' (Gaziantep University July 15 Campus). The 9,500 affected students had to seek transfers to other institutions, a process that reportedly caused significant difficulties. In 2019, a new institution called Gaziantep Islam, Science and Technology University was established on the former campus.