Young Turks could soon be banned from attending French schools in Istanbul and Ankara, by decision of the Turkish authorities… The legal status of the two French schools is a long-standing source of tension between Paris and Ankara. But in recent weeks, the affair has turned into a diplomatic standoff, to the point of threatening the future of the two schools, which together host more than 2,400 students.
2 min
With our correspondent in Ankara, Anne Andlauer
To date, the Türkiye does not recognize the two French schools in Türkiye and accuses them of ” break the law “. She wants their operation to depend on a bilateral agreement. Ankara is particularly demanding that ” reciprocity “, or the opening in France of Turkish schools recognized by the French state. This Saturday, July 13, the Minister of Education, Yusuf Tekin, did not mince his words against France:
” We are not like the countries you colonized, we are an independent and national state! If you want to provide education here, you must comply with our conditions. Come, let us make these schools legitimate and in exchange, we will have certain demands for Turkish citizens in France. Are you refusing the demands of our citizens? Are you preventing Turkish and Turkish culture classes? Well, we have sent an official letter to tell them that they will no longer be able to admit Turkish students to these schools. ” said Yusuf Tekin.
In a letter to parents dated July 12, the French embassy indicated that it had received a ” verbal note ” from the authorities in Ankara. A note in the form of an ultimatum: if an agreement is not signed, schools will no longer be able to admit Turkish children from the start of the next school year. Turkish students currently in school, which is the vast majority of the students, will have to be transferred to local schools.
In an interview, the Turkish Minister of Education accuses France of ” of arrogance ” but maintains that students already enrolled will be able to continue their education. Paris must send a delegation to Turkey to try to find an agreement.