Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin stated that, during the visit, they met with Syrian Minister of Education Turko and Syrian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Halabi and said, "It has been almost one year since the overthrow of the former regime in Syria. Throughout this period, Türkiye has consistently supported the existence of a strong and stable government in Syria-one that is self-reliant and serves as a guarantor of peace. What will make us stronger is the existence of a government in Syria that does not support terrorism, guarantees peace and human rights within its own territory, and enjoys political stability. For Türkiye, it is of great importance that Syria continues to exist as a politically and economically strong country. Therefore, based on these parameters, we sat down with the Syrian government, our friends here, and our counterparts to evaluate what we can do together."

 

Minister Tekin emphasized that a comprehensive cooperation process would be launched between Türkiye and Syria, stating, "We will pursue cooperation worthy of the legislation of the two neighboring countries and develop our relations in a manner that will serve as an example to the world."

 

Minister Tekin stated that the educational processes of Syrian students were discussed during the meetings, saying, "Currently, there are over 800,000 Syrian children in our education system in Türkiye. One of today's main agenda items was the integration of children returning to Syria under a dignified and voluntary return process, and we held substantial discussions with the Ministry of Education regarding their adaptation."

 

Minister Tekin also highlighted the importance of curricula, stating, "Curricula play a crucial role in fostering friendly relations between Türkiye and Syria. We evaluated how the Syrian curriculum could be developed to support the historical and strong cultural ties between the two countries and how any elements that may weaken our relations could be addressed. Likewise, we jointly considered programs such as teacher exchanges, student exchanges, and sister-school programs. We assessed the significant potential for cooperation in the educational processes of the two neighboring countries. It was a very productive meeting."

 

Minister Tekin conveyed that the educational process in Syria is being restructured, noting, "The Syrian Minister of Education indicated that they are considering extending the primary and secondary education period to eight years, similar to the system in Türkiye. We emphasized that we could contribute to the development of this model. Moreover, our experience in educational technologies in Türkiye-ranging from e-Okul to MEBBİS-demonstrates our capacity to support Syria's education system across multiple areas. Regarding these software solutions, as you are aware, our Directorate General for Special Education and Guidance Services recently developed an intelligence test in collaboration with TÜBİTAK. We engaged in detailed discussions on how such software and technical resources could be effectively implemented and utilized in Syria."

 

Minister Tekin emphasized that the meetings had been productive: "We are conducting comprehensive cooperation to ensure that Syria's education system benefits from Türkiye's expertise in the field of education. Inshallah, the results will be positive."