Minister Tekin stated, "As Türkiye, we believe that our strength grows when our neighbor is strong. We will do whatever is required of us to support your continued existence as a strong country in the region. We represent communities that have lived together for many years, and the events following 2011 have further strengthened these ties. Today, as the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye, we are here to reaffirm our commitment to solidify these strengthened relations and to do our part in supporting Syria's empowerment.

 

Minister Yusuf Tekin continued his speech:

"Inshallah, the brotherhood and unity between Syria and Türkiye will serve as a lesson to countries with imperial ambitions in the region. The greatest responsibility for achieving this lies with our ministries of education. We must undertake joint efforts to ensure that today's modern educational technologies are accessible to the children of both countries, and we must do our part to ensure that this spirit of brotherhood is passed on to future generations. Inshallah, today's visit will contribute to strengthening Syria-Türkiye relations in these two dimensions. I would like to thank Minister Mr. Muhammad Abdurrahman Turko and his team for their kind invitation."

 

Syrian Minister of Education, Turko, expressed his gratitude to the Turkish people for welcoming refugees, stating, "Receiving an education during their stay in Türkiye was particularly valuable for them, and we consider this extremely important. The Syrian people have endured tremendous hardships over fourteen years of war, and educational institutions are working diligently to improve conditions in the country. The Syrian government places great importance on education, regarding it as the key to Syria's future. Inshallah, Syria will, in the future, turn in its favor both historically and regionally."

As part of the program, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin also met with Syrian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Marwan Halabi. The meeting addressed steps to develop cooperation in the field of education between the two countries.

 

The Ministry delegation included Deputy Minister Celile Eren Ökten; Director General for Personnel Bülent Çiftçi; Director General for Support Services Ömür Fatih Karakullukçu; Director General for Higher and Foreign Education Fethi Fahri Kaya; and Director General for European Union and Foreign Relations Ünal Eryılmaz.

 

Also accompanying the delegation were Cihad Demirli, President of the Board of Education; Mustafa Otrar, Director General for Special Education and Guidance Services; Salih Kaygusuz, Acting Director General for Vocational and Technical Education; Özcan Duman, Director General of Construction and Real Estate; and Ersin Karaman, Director General for Information Technology. Each of them held separate meetings with their counterparts in Syria.

As part of their engagements in Syria, the delegation also conducted cultural visits. Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin and his accompanying delegation visited the First Turkish Aviation Martyrs' Graves, the Umayyad Mosque, and the Süleymaniye Complex in Damascus, the capital.

 

During the visit, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin inscribed a message in the guestbook of the Umayyad Mosque, emphasizing the importance of the ties of friendship and brotherhood between Türkiye and Syria:

 

"As part of our visit to Syria, we visited the Umayyad Mosque, a legacy of our ancestors. We offered prayers for our martyrs and forebears. May their resting places be in paradise. We value the presence of our friendly and brotherly country, Syria, as an independent, strong, and prosperous nation in the region. In this regard, we are here to take steps to further develop our relations. Under the leadership of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our brotherhood will attain its fullest potential. With the hope that our friendship will continue to grow and strengthen, I extend my gratitude to all those who contributed to this visit."