Turkey announces reopening of its schools in Saudi Arabia soon
Turkey’s Ministry of Education announced that the schools that were operating under its supervision in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will begin to carry out their duties again.
In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Education said: “As a result of the diplomatic contacts of the Turkish government and the initiatives of the Ministry of Education, schools operating under the supervision of the Turkish Ministry will be reopened in Saudi Arabia.”
The statement revealed that Turkey’s Minister of Education, Mahmut Ozer, discussed with his Saudi counterpart Hamad Al-Sheikh the situation of Turkish schools in the Kingdom, during their meeting on the sidelines of the “Preparatory Summit for Education Transformation” that was held recently in the French capital, Paris.
It was pointed out that “as a result of contacts between the authorities of the two countries, the procedures for accepting students will begin in a short time,” as the ministry made it clear that Turkish schools operating in the capital, Riyadh, and other governorates were gradually closed from the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, by an official decision.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey have close historical relations, and the history of diplomatic relations between them dates back to 1929, following the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Agreement between the two countries the previous year.
Bilateral relations were strengthened through mutual visits between the leaders of the two countries, the first of which was the visit of King Faisal to Turkey in 1932 on his way back from a European trip, and his second visit to it after he became king in 1966.
Since its inception in 1929, relations between the two countries have witnessed development, growth and further cooperation and mutual understanding on issues that concern the interests of the two countries and the Islamic nation.
During 2015 and 2016, relations between the Kingdom and Turkey witnessed a remarkable movement and development, as five Saudi-Turkish summits were held, bringing together Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz with President Erdogan.
The official visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Turkey in April 2016, and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, culminated in the announcement of the establishment of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council.
The council aims to enhance joint cooperation in the political and diplomatic fields, economy and trade, banking and finance, marine navigation, industry, energy, agriculture, culture, education, technology, military fields, military industries, security, and the media. The council held its first meeting in February 2017 in Ankara.
On the other hand, on April 28, 2022, Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia; at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, where he was received by the Saudi monarch at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During the meeting, they reviewed the Saudi-Turkish relations and opportunities for developing them in various fields, in addition to the latest regional and international developments and the efforts made in their regard.