November 27, 2013

Turkey’s plans to abolish private study centers arrest free enterprise

The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) noted in a press statement released on Nov. 25 that it considers the Turkish government’s proposal to abolish fee-based private preparatory courses for admission exams and free private tutoring centers as government “overreach” and categorically “opposes” it.

NY Times: The Shadow Politics of Shadow Education*

Andrew Finkel**

“Shadow education” is academic jargon for the way ordinary people bypass the failings of the formal school system by enlisting their children in special programs on the side. In Turkey, the practice is so widespread it has spawned a multibillion-dollar industry of private tutorial colleges that help students cram for highly competitive high-school and university entrance exams. Nearly 1.3 million children in Turkey are enrolled in more than 3,800 tutorial colleges.

WSJ: Turkey's Dominant Political Coalition Shows Signs of Fraying*

Series of Initiatives by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Provoke Backlash Ahead of 2014 Elections

Intensifying rivalries between Turkey's prime minister and segments of his Islamist-rooted ruling party are threatening to fray the largely conservative coalition that has dominated the nation's politics for more than a decade, just as it prepares for elections next year.

BBC: Turkish Twitter war over education

Plans to abolish "prep schools" in Turkey have sparked a huge feud between two of the country's most powerful forces on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

Erdoğan has to respect civil society

Şahin Alpay

Colleagues and friends ask me, “What is the reason for the feud between the government and the Gülen movement and between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Fethullah Gülen?” This is, briefly, my response.

Will the AKP lose votes?

Emre Uslu

For the last two weeks, Turkey has focused on the prep school issue. As you all know, the government has made a controversial decision to close privately run prep schools in the name of education reform.

Foreign journalists baffled by gov't decision to shut down prep schools

Representatives of foreign media outlets in İstanbul had a difficult time on Tuesday understanding the rationale behind the government's decision to close private prep schools across Turkey.

Ruling AKP lawmakers voice objection to prep schools closure

Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already voiced his resolve to close private examination prep schools, known as “dershanes,” some lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have raised their objections toward the move.

Questions for the government

Bülent Keneş

What we have concluded after discussing the government's plan to shut down prep schools for the past 12 days is that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is resolved to proceed with the plan.

'African wave' makes splash at İstanbul summit

The second day of a global trade and investment summit in İstanbul saw increased interest from African companies in Turkish markets, with some major deals in the works.