First, Minister Özer had a bilateral meeting with Algerian Minister Abdulhakim Belaabed. At the meeting, Minister Özer stated that developing relations with African countries in recent years are success stories and one of the most important components is the partnership with the friendly nation Algeria.

 

Minister Özer noted that Türkiye has over five hundred years of historical, deep-rooted and multi-dimensional relations with Algeria. In this context, he specified educational relations are also satisfactory within the two countries.

 

Minister Özer addressing that Algerian President Tebbun has crucial talks with our president  Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan within the scope of YDİK meeting, he said that" At this meeting, where a total of 15 agreements were signed, we signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Education and Training and the MOU in the Field of Vocational Education with Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria and National Communities Abroad."

 

Stating that the cooperation allows them to share experiences covering many dimensions of education, Özer said, "We are pleased that the work on the opening of an International Turkish School in Algeria through our Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Algerian Embassy has resulted in an agreement."

Özer stated that they attach particular importance to supporting Turkish and meeting the demands for learning Turkish abroad, and said that they would also welcome the teaching of Turkish as an elective foreign language in high schools in Algeria.

 

Özer stated that they could develop inter-institutional cooperation by establishing a sister school relationship between the schools of the two countries and continued as follows: "We would be pleased to share with you the acquis that our Ministry has on this subject and to benefit from your experience. We also will be pleased to share our achievements on vocational training in recent years. I believe that our relations based on mutual trust and fellowship will be deepened in the next term."

 

Özer met with UNESCO Executive chairperson Siamashvili

Minister Özer then met with UNESCO Executive Board chairperson Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili.

Expressing that they have a desire to develop cooperation under the roof of UNESCO, Özer said that "participation to the preliminary summit on the transformation of education as a comprehensive delegation is an indicator of this desire.

 

Minister Özer emphasized the need for international cooperation to provide sustainability of education, which faces many difficulties, such as pandemics, economic difficulties, conflicts, disputes, or any other challenges for everyone and in any condition.

 

Emphasizing the need for international solidarity to ensure that education, which faces many challenges such as pandemics, economic difficulties, conflicts, and disputes, is sustainable in all situations and for everyone, Minister Özer said: "As a member of the executive committee, we are ready to share best practices and to contribute to the transformation of education. Our country has achieved significant successes not only in digital transformation, teacher training and education for all but also in the education of refugee children we host. With the experiences of past years, our country has implemented distance education throughout the country without wasting time in a way that will not leave any student behind during the pandemic process."

 

Noting that they have made significant investments in this field in terms of both technological infrastructure and content, Özer stated that they are ready for all kinds of joint projects under the roof of UNESCO.

 

Minister Özer met with Saudi Arabian Minister of Education Al Shaikh

Mahmut Özer, Turkish Minister of National Education, also held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabian Education Minister Hamad Al Shaikh as part of his program.

 

Minister Ozer stated that they have started a new period of cooperation in the relations of the two countries with President Erdoğan's visit to Cidde on 28-29 April 2022, and said, "We have also moved this cooperation further in our talks in Ankara this month. We believe that by working together, we will rapidly take our relationships to higher levels in the coming period. We see this development as a necessity for our deep historical and cultural ties."

 

Reminding the recent closure of Turkish schools, which were among the building blocks of the friendship bridge between the two countries, Minister Özer said, "Our citizens living in Saudi Arabia and 2,500 students benefited from our schools located in eight different cities. We had consultations at the Ministerial level. We want these consultations to be completed quickly, and our schools to be reopened and for our citizens to benefit."

 

Stating that "Our children abroad are as precious as our children in Türkiye."

Özer said, "It is among our main duties that they lead a virtuous and educated life and become happy individuals. Therefore, our schools abroad are also intermediary for this purpose. Our common goal is to ensure that our students have access to quality education at all levels."

 

Minister Özer noted that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Education, which is under negotiation, will be an important step in this sense, and that the current opinion of the Ministry of National Education has been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be conveyed to the Saudi Arabian side.

 

Saudi Arabian Minister of Education Hamad Al Shaikh stated that they are positive about the reopening of Turkish schools and said, " Studies on this subject are also carried out by the Riyadh Embassy. I hope to meet again as soon as possible to discuss these issues."

 

On the other hand, the Deputy Minister of National Education Petek Aşkar met with Wuilkelman Angel Paredes, Deputy Minister of Educational Communities and Public Unity of Venezuela, to exchange views on educational relations between the two countries.