{Turkey’s constitutional court has reportedly annulled a controversial law closing private tutoring centres, many of which are run by the movement of US-exiled imam Fethullah Gülen, an opponent of the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.}
Following a petition by the main opposition, the Republican People’s party (CHP), the court ruled late on Monday that the law adopted by parliament in March 2014 to close the schools, known as dershanes, was unconstitutional.
The text passed by the assembly had ordered that the centres close by 1 September 2015.
The dershanes are very popular in Turkey, with 3,800 of the centres catering for 1.2 million students hoping to win a place in top schools and universities.
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Opponents of the law argued that it would exclude the most disadvantaged students from the most sought-after universities and increase the impact of socio-economic differences on entrance exam results.
Erdoğan, who was prime minister at the time, had originally included closure of the centres as part of educational reforms.
However, it was seen as part of Erdoğan’s fight against Gülen’s movement, which controls at least a quarter of the tutoring centres.
The president accuses his one-time ally and his movement of being behind corruption allegations that rocked the government in December 2013 while Erdoğan was prime minister and which he has dismissed as a plot by the cleric to unseat him.
Erdoğan has vowed no mercy in the fight against Gülen and the authorities have over the last year purged the police force and judiciary to rid them of pro-Gülenist elements.
Gülen leads a broad movement known as Hizmet (the service), believed to be supported by millions of Turks and which brings together interests ranging from finance and schools to media.
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