Open for sects, closed to CYDD: 'They haven't let us into schools since 2009'

Turkey is discussing the presence of religious sects in education. 

While the religious officials appointed to MEB schools under the name of 'spiritual guides' as part of the CEDES project remain on the agenda, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin defined these sects as NGOs and declared that 'the protocols will continue'. 

"THEY HAVEN'T LET US INTO SCHOOLS SINCE 2009"

Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, President of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Living (CYDD), spoke to Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü newspaper. Stating that Minister Tekin, who accepts the "sect protocols," has no communication with the CYDD, Ayşe Yüksel made the following striking statements:

“Since the FETÖ conspiracy, we have not had any communication or protocols with the Ministry of National Education since 2009. We have not received positive responses to our branches' applications, nor to our calls. Yet, during Türkan Saylan's lifetime, in the early years of the AKP and during the term of Minister of National Education Hüseyin Çelik, we had boarding primary regional schools, girls' dormitories in districts, preschools, kindergartens, and high schools built and gifted to the ministry. At that time, of course, we had cooperation protocols, but they haven't let us into schools in any way since 2009.

"THEY DEMOLISHED OUR GIRLS' DORMITORY"

Today, there are institutions in many parts of Turkey that the CYDD gifted to our state. But another side of the matter is that they are removing the signs of these institutions, writing something else, doing something else, transforming them, or demolishing them. We had built an 80-person girls' dormitory in the Çaldıran district of Van. It was a modern dormitory with a kitchen and dormitories. The district governor had that dormitory demolished and placed it under the command of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. They then built a district directorate building in place of our demolished dormitory, as if they couldn't find anywhere else to build in Muradiye. The lawsuit we filed on this matter has not yet been concluded. We were also embarrassed before the donors.

"THERE IS NO PROTOCOL BETWEEN US AND THE MEB"

Currently, we have no protocols with the Ministry of National Education. We would also like to sign a protocol with the Ministry of National Education. We would like to carry out our own projects in accordance with our Constitution and our laws. These children are the children of all of Turkey, the future of our country.

"THE REMEDY FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM JOINING ARMED GROUPS..."

We see, hear, and know that work is being carried out with many foundations such as the Ensar Foundation, the Diyanet Foundation, the İlim Yayma Society, and TÜGVA. The latest statement made by Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin is absolutely unacceptable. Because the minister himself knows what is going on in the communities and sects. Therefore, is the remedy for protecting children from joining armed groups to abandon them to another negative influence? The remedy is to meet at the principles of Atatürk's education laws.”