Istanbul's Armenian schools will continue to accept children from Armenian families who will receive education in Turkey under the status of 'guest student'. This clarification was provided by Sevan Sıvacıoğlu, an Armenian-origin deputy from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, following a meeting with Education Minister Yusuf Tekin.
According to the deputy, there is currently "no new regulation regarding guest students studying in schools belonging to the Armenian community," and everything remains as before. This means that children of families who have moved from Armenia and obtained work or residence permits in Turkey will be able to continue their education in local Armenian schools without any obstacles.
For more than a week, rumors had been circulating in the community that a new directive had been issued from the Ministry of Education banning Armenian students from studying in Armenian schools, and instead suggesting they attend public educational institutions.
The issue was also discussed in detail on August 24 during a consultation meeting of the Union of Armenian Foundations (Vakıfs) in Turkey, which was attended by Sıvacıoğlu, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan, as well as principals and representatives of Armenian schools.
This clarification dispels several days of uncertainty in the Istanbul Armenian community, as the issue of education for children from Armenian families had been a topic of heated debate recently. Although the deputy's statement makes it clear that there are currently no regulations, the rumors that spread last week show that sensitivity to the issue is evident.
The involvement of all parties at the August 24 consultation indicates that the issue has received serious attention. Therefore, although there is currently no ban, it is all the more important to follow developments, as the situation could change at any moment, and the community must be prepared for that.
