Minister Tekin speaks during school visit: Our Syriac and Armenian citizens say 'May God be pleased with Erdoğan'

Minister Tekin, who visited the Armenian Patriarchate before the program at the school, touched upon the importance of the dialogue maintained with minority schools in his speech at the Private Bezciyan Armenian School. Stating that an environment where all citizens can live on equal footing has been created since 2002, Tekin used the following expressions:

"As an academic, it bothers me that what has been done regarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of conservative Sunni Muslims in Turkey during the AKP government is reduced only to the headscarf and that area, because there are very important parameters showing that nothing existed in Turkey before 2001, which our President has done since 2002. Our Alevi-Bektashi citizens say, 'May God be pleased with Tayyip Erdoğan, thanks to him we started to perform cem ceremonies in humane conditions.' Our Syriac and Armenian citizens say the same things."

"As a Sunni Muslim, I desire the same things for other citizens as I desire for myself"

Expressing that they consider it a duty to defend the rights of everyone who has been marginalized or deprived of their right to life in terms of their ethnic, religious, or cultural identity in line with the vision of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Tekin said, "We can only continue our thousands-year-old culture of living together if we can teach it to our children. In our schools, I desire the same things for other citizens as I desire for myself as a Sunni Muslim. We will create a Turkey that will build that together," he said.

"Work is underway to renew Armenian language programs in accordance with the Maarif Model"

Explaining that they have adopted a new approach to language teaching in line with international standards and have revised the measurement and evaluation system based on reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, Tekin provided the information that, "Work is also being carried out to renew the Armenian language programs here in accordance with the framework of the Century of Turkey Education Model (Maarif Model)."

Stating that since his time as Undersecretary, he has not distinguished the problems of students in minority schools from those in other schools, and that they have included these institutions in practices such as incentives and interactive boards, Tekin noted that they have introduced the option for students to take exams in their own religion in central examinations and that they are striving to solve all the problems they can.

Istanbul Deputy Sevan Sıvacıoğlu, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Murat Mücahit Yentür, Fatih District Governor Cafer Sarılı, Armenian Foundations Union Education Commission President Mari Yancı, School Founder Representative Janet Şirinoğlu, and school officials also attended the visit.

News Source: 12punto