Two French schools in Turkey have had to tell hundreds of parents that their children will not be returning to school this year. An untenable situation for these families.
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In Turkey, the French schools Pierre-Loti and Charles-de-Gaulle, in Istanbul and Ankara, find themselves in the middle of a diplomatic crisis. These two schools are fragile, since they have no recognized legal existence in Turkey, which uses this card to its heart’s content. In this case, Ankara is demanding the opening of two Turkish law educational institutions in France, reciprocity in a way, it is argued here. Except that these schools would follow the Turkish educational program, which is increasingly religious, to the detriment of fundamental knowledge.
A request that France refused this summer. When Yusuf Tekin, the Turkish Minister of Education, reacted on July 12, he did not mince his words. “France does not deign to take us as an interlocutor. We are not like the countries you colonized. We are a sovereign and independent state. You must therefore act on our terms if you want to teach here.”
And the negotiations fail. Three weeks before the start of the school year, the parents of newly enrolled Turkish and Franco-Turkish students receive an email from the school and the embassy informing them that their children will not be accepted. Needless to say, it’s panic for Coralie, mother of a little girl. “My daughter has dual nationality, so at the last minute I found myself without a school and without an alternative.” But above all, regrets Coralie, “I have no feedback on my questions, either from the school or the embassy. I am alone, completely alone.”
That’s the problem. Even though everyone knows they are victims of the Turkish overbidding, they are angry with the embassy and the schools for being absent. Just an information meeting by videoconference where parents were not allowed to intervene. But no solution was proposed, which outrages Clara: “There is a lot of anger, a feeling of abandonment by the French state with regard to our situation. Since these negotiations have been going on for years, there should have been a plan B ready for a very long time. In this case, that was not the case, it is not the case.” Her granddaughter, who was due to start first grade, will take correspondence courses.
Because the only real alternative would be Turkish public schools, which many families do not want. Private schools or those under AEFE contract had already filled up when the axe fell in August, or cost several thousand euros. Families returned to France in a hurry, abandoning their lives and their spouses here. Others have taken steps to abandon Turkish nationality. This situation has created a lot of drama.
A mother who agreed to give evidence explained that her husband, a Turk, remained here. She left alone with her child to ensure that he would have a school start at the start of the school year and does not know when the family will be able to meet up again, due to a lack of visas. Other families are preparing to leave in case the blockade persists at the start of the next school year.
The big question, then, is whether there is any hope of an agreement. For now, it isradio silence on the French side so as not to irritate Turkey. Parents have also been advised to be discreet. Those who spoke to franceinfo did so on condition that their names be changed. In any case, the stakes are high for France. Without an agreement, the future of the Pierre-Loti and Charles-de-Gaulle schools is in jeopardy.
It should be noted that Turkish and Franco-Turkish students represent at least 70% of the students. Without them, French schools would not be able to survive financially. For the time being, the ban only applies to new registrations; those who were already enrolled can continue their studies. But if the pool dries up, it will be difficult to maintain these two schools for French students only.