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The Ministry of National Education (MEB) is tightening its oversight of schools across the country.
Recent investigations target both unauthorized international schools and private institutions accused of using forged documents to register foreign students.
These actions reflect a broader effort by the government to ensure all educational activities follow legal standards.
The Ministry of National Education recently sent a formal notice to provincial governorates regarding students who attend schools without proper authorization.
According to a report by Türkiye Daily, the ministry is specifically investigating schools that operate under foreign embassies or consulates.
These institutions originally opened to provide education only for the children of embassy and consulate staff. However, the ministry received reports that Turkish students are also enrolling in these schools. This practice violates the Constitution of Türkiye and national education laws.
Under Turkish law, all education must occur under state supervision. The ministry emphasized that Turkish students of primary and secondary school age must complete their compulsory education at schools affiliated with the ministry.
To address this, the ministry gave several instructions to local authorities:
In a separate case, a criminal lawsuit has started against the principal of a private school in the Bagcilar district of Istanbul.
Prosecutors accuse Izzeddin Ugurlu of official document forgery and abuse of duty at the Private Kazanim Anatolian High School, according to Halk TV.
Ministry inspectors discovered that at least 17 Iraqi students registered at the school between 2022 and 2023 using fake equivalency certificates.
The investigation found that these students never attended classes. Despite their absence, the school gave them high grades and allowed them to graduate from the 12th grade.
The Bagcilar District Governorate filed a complaint against the 44-year-old principal in December 2024. Ugurlu faces a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.
In his defense statement, Ugurlu claimed he did not know the documents were forged.
"At that time, many foreign students registered at the school. Students applied in groups through agencies," Ugurlu said. He also stated that he could not verify the documents. "I did not know they were fake. The system does not allow us to query these certificates, so I had no way of knowing they were forged."
The trial continues at the Bakirkoy High Criminal Court as authorities look deeper into how these fraudulent registrations occurred.
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