To boost the social and economic outlook of the country, Turkey has recently initiated educational reform at all levels and especially higher education, including organizational restructuring and expansion for increased accessibility. The swift increase in the number and size of universities has resulted in a challenge to find trained faculty. One important programme to meet this challenge has been the government's sponsorship of students for graduate study abroad in exchange for future service in higher education institutions. This study explores the organisation of the Turkish higher education system and reports the systemic barriers and oppressive structures in the system that stand as solid blocks against any change and transformation the returning scholars could potentially instil. The author argues that sending students abroad to return to their country to improve higher education, without carefully reviewing and eliminating the repressive structures and the domination of power holders at both national and institutional levels, is not enough to attain the higher educational goals that Turkey aspires toward.