Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has said that schools operated by foreign embassies in Turkey lack legal grounds after Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a directive preventing the enrollment of new Turkish students at a German Embassy-run school, Deutsche Welle’s Turkish service reported on Wednesday.
The German-run Ernst-Reuter School announced on Tuesday that Turkish passport holders would not be accepted for the 2024-2025 academic year, following the diplomatic note.
“The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a note that unfortunately prohibits us from accepting new students with Turkish passports … in the 2024/2025 academic year until further notice,” the statement read. Current students with Turkish passports will still be able to enroll.
This policy change follows a similar clash between Turkish and French authorities over embassy-run schools. The French Embassy in Ankara had previously announced that the education ministry demanded a new agreement for French schools in Turkey. Without such an agreement, Turkish students would not be allowed to enroll, and current students would be transferred to Turkish schools. Minister Tekin accused France of colonial behavior and emphasized that Turkey would follow legal procedures if the schools did not comply.
Tekin reiterated his stance on Tuesday, stating that 12 foreign-operated schools, including Ernst-Reuter, were not legally grounded according to Turkish regulations. “These schools are not recognized in our legislation. They must comply with our regulations or they will be deemed invalid,” Tekin said. He emphasized the need for international agreements to legitimize these schools.
The diplomatic tensions also trace back to 2019, when Turkey sought to open schools in France, a move that was blocked by French authorities citing concerns over the spread of Islamist ideology.
In response to the recent developments, Germany’s Foreign Ministry is reportedly working to find a solution. The Ernst-Reuter School community has been informed of the situation, and affected families have been advised to seek alternative education options.
The Turkish education ministry’s intensified scrutiny of French schools, seen as retaliation for blocking Turkey’s Maarif Foundation schools in France, has disrupted students’ education. Inspections of French schools in Ankara and İstanbul have led to fines and curriculum interference, drawing criticism for politicizing education.
Maarif, which was established prior to a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 through legislation in the Turkish parliament, has targeted the closure of educational institutions established by followers of the faith-based Gülen movement since the abortive putsch as part of the foreign policy of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which labels the movement as a terrorist organization and accuses it of orchestrating the failed coup.
The Gülen movement, a worldwide civic initiative inspired by the ideas of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, strongly denies involvement in the failed putsch and any terrorist activity.
The Maarif Foundation has so far taken over hundreds of schools worldwide that had been established by followers of the Gülen movement as part of the government-led crackdown on the group.