The Minister of National Education, Nazım Çavuşoğlu, paid an official visit to Ankara.
Çavuşoğlu, who flew to the Turkish capital on Thursday, also came together with his counterpart, Turkish Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin.
The Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu, who flew to Ankara with his delegation, first visited the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities and held a meeting with its President Abdullah Eren.
During the meeting, the increase in the number of scholarships provided by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the provision of scholarships for master’s and doctoral programs, the increase in the number of GCE A Level scholarships, and the allocation of a special quota of 15 people to commemorate the “Champion Angels Team” were discussed, and a consensus was reached on these matters.
Following the meeting, Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu and the President of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities Abdullah Eren signed a new protocol to ensure the continuity of cooperation between the Ministry and YTB.
According to the protocol, the number of A-Level quotas provided by the YTB to students in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been increased from 30 to 45, and 10 quotas have been allocated for master’s and doctoral programs.
The protocol also includes the provision of a Special Quota Scholarship for 15 individuals in commemoration of the “Champion Angels Team.”
As a result, the number of quotas provided by the YTB to TRNC students has been increased from 30 to 70 through mutual agreement.
As part of his official contacts in Ankara, the Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu also met with the Turkish Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin.
In his speech during the inter-delegation meeting, Minister Çavuşoğlu extended his congratulations to Minister Tekin on his new position and referred to the longstanding and fruitful cooperation between the two countries in the field of education.
“We have always had a strong collaboration in terms of raising the level of education in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and updating knowledge for a better future, thanks to the sacrifices of our motherland and the dedication of our staff here. In this regard, I am grateful to our President, ministers, and all bureaucrats who have served with the understanding of ‘two states, one nation’ as in the past” Çavuşoğlu said.
Stressing that there were numerous ongoing projects between Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, he said that they will continue their efforts to further strengthen educational cooperation between the two countries.
The Turkish Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, for his part expressed his delight in hosting the delegation from the TRNC as his first official meeting since taking office.
Stressing that as the Ministry of National Education, they aimed to implement the understanding of “two states, one nation” between Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in practice, not just in words, Tekin also highlighted the importance they place on not only intergovernmental relations but also intercommunity relations.
“I strongly believe in the importance of preserving the identity of being one nation. It is our duty to ensure the continuity of this identity. We are ready to fulfil any task that falls upon us in this regard” he stressed.
Pointing out that there had been ongoing collaborations between the two countries, Minister Tekin expressed their openness to cooperate with the TRNC on various issues.
Subsequently, during the meeting between the delegations, the existing educational cooperation between Türkiye and the TRNC was discussed, along with new areas of collaboration.
Minister Çavuşoğlu continued his meetings in Ankara by holding discussions with the Acting President of the Council of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Haldun Göktaş.
The meeting, attended by ministry officials and rectors from some universities in the TRNC, focused on discussing the steps to be taken in higher education between the two institutions.
Later, Minister Çavuşoğlu met with the Director General of Credits and Dormitories, Recep Ali Er, and the Rector of the Ankara Social Sciences University, Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan.
Minister Çavuşoğlu and Rector Arıcan signed a protocol regarding the allocation of undergraduate-level quotas for students receiving education in the GCE A Level field.
Having concluded his contacts in Ankara, Minister Çavuşoğlu returned to the republic on Thursday evening.