The ministers and deputy ministers of education from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, along with the President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Erol Özvar, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the OTS, Sadi Jafarov, attended the Meeting of Ministers of Education of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), hosted by Azerbaijan, held in Shusha.

 

The meeting of the Scientific Council of the Turkic Academy was attended by the ministers and deputy ministers of education from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, along with the President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Özvar and the President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev.

 

Deputy Minister Nazif Yılmaz, in his speech at the 8th Meeting of Ministers of Education of the OTS, emphasized the importance of enhancing the joint efforts to further the common language, history, and cultural unity with the member states participating in the meeting and strengthening the cooperation between them by sharing knowledge and experience.

 

Yılmaz stated, "Enriching the significant and valuable efforts made so far to enhance the existing common history, culture, and language unity among Turkic states; discussing any differing views, proposals, and scientific information in academic platforms based on goodwill and solution-oriented, objective criteria; and promptly reaching conclusions in the light of historical documents is crucial. With this motto, I hope that the meeting we convene will be auspicious for our countries and further advance our cooperation in the field of education."

 

Pointing to a shining new century ahead of the Turkic world in his speech, Yılmaz said that the construction of this new century will be possible with the steps to be taken together in science, technology, art, and sports and with the efforts made to raise virtuous generations.

 

Deputy Minister Yılmaz said that in this sense, online meetings in which member countries will support each other and various mechanisms and working groups to be established in the field of education can ensure a more sustainable and long-term exchange of information.

 

Stating that it is important to strengthen our cultural and historical ties through printed and digital materials, Yılmaz pointed out that textbooks on common Turkic history, common Turkic literature, and Geography of the Turkic World are already being taught in Turkish schools in line with the decisions taken at the OTS summit meetings. 

 

Yılmaz stated that the global education vision should be revitalized by refocusing on student and teacher exchange programs, which will contribute to a better understanding of common values, and invited member countries to participate in these efforts.

 

During the meeting, issues on the education agenda of the OTS member countries were evaluated. In this context, topics related to the sister school practice between member countries, the continuation of teacher-student exchange programs, student-academic exchange programs in higher education, and certificate-diploma equivalency were addressed.

 

In addition, it was decided during the meeting that the next Meeting of Ministers of Education of the OTS will be held in Kazakhstan, and the presidency of the Turkic Academy was handed over to Azerbaijan.

 

At the 7th Meeting of the Scientific Council of the Turkic Academy held on the same day, Nazif Yılmaz stated that it is necessary to work on educational systems and models that are constructed according to current needs by combining new realities with old ones, which will both appeal to the Turkic world and bring prestige to the member countries of the Turkic Academy in the international arena.

 

Yılmaz stated that the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye is open to cooperation for the advancement of the Turkic world in science and education.

 

The meetings concluded with all participants expressing their wishes to develop common areas of cooperation and offering good wishes.