After “months of negotiations”, according to the French embassy in Ankara, the tone suddenly rose in mid-July with the Minister of Education, Yusuf Tekin, who denounced the “arrogance” of France which “does not deign to take us as an interlocutor”.
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Turkey is banning all new enrollment in primary and nursery classes in French schools in the country with immediate effect, the country’s education ministry announced on Saturday, August 10. Under the terms of an interim agreement reached after “long negotiations”the ministry revealed in a statement, “No new Turkish students will be enrolled in the mentioned schools until an international agreement providing for legal status is concluded“.
“In this context, no new Turkish students will be enrolled in the kindergarten and first grade classes of Charles De Gaulle primary schools [à Ankara] and Pierre Loti [à Istanbul]”, he added. The ministry clarified that the measure takes retroactive effect. “from January 1, 2024, to cover the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. Similarly, no new students will be admitted to intermediate classes”This decision, less than a month before the start of the school year on September 3, has not yet been communicated to the parents of Turkish students who represent the overwhelming majority of those enrolled in these two establishments.
The ministry also warns that “the list of Turkish students enrolled and information on schools certified by the French Agency for Education Abroad (Aefe) will be submitted to our Ministry before the next school year”. “Until these schools” get “legal status, Turkish language courses, Turkish culture, Turkish literature, Turkish history and geography” can only be provided by “Teachers who are citizens of the Republic of Türkiye appointed by our Ministry”he specifies.
He further warns that the programs and contents of these schools “will be monitored and inspected by officials” of the Turkish Ministry and State. After “months of negotiations”according to the French embassy in Ankara, the tone suddenly rose in mid-July with the Minister of Education Yusuf Tekin who had denounced “arrogance” from France which “does not deign to take us as an interlocutor”. “We are not like the countries you colonized. We are a sovereign state. So you have to act on our terms if you want to teach here.”he had warned.
