On the anniversary of the July 15th coup attempt in Türkiye, the Turkish Maarif Foundation has taken over the administration of three schools formerly linked to the FETÖ Terrorist Organization in Burkina Faso.
Since 2003, FETÖ, which has been active in the education sector in Burkina Faso, had a total of three campuses: two in the capital city of Ouagadougou and one in Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's economic capital.During a ceremony held at the Embassy on the occasion of the July 15th Democracy and National Unity Day, which was highly attended by Turkish citizens and Burkinabe residents in Ouagadougou, Turkey’s Ambassador to Ouagadougou, Nilgün Erdem Arı, announced that the Council of Ministers of Burkina Faso decided on July 3, 2024, to nationalize the so-called educational institutions affiliated with FETÖ. Following this decision, a high-level delegation from the Turkish Maarif Foundation arrived in Ouagadougou. Ambassador Arı noted that with the transfer of FETÖ-affiliated schools to the Turkish Maarif Foundation, a new chapter would begin in the relations between Türkiye and Burkina Faso. Stating that no student would be disadvantaged once the transfer process of these schools to the Turkish Maarif Foundation is completed, Arı said: "Families can rest assured. The Turkish Maarif Foundation has been successfully conducting educational activities in many countries in Africa and West Africa for years. The education provided by the Turkish Maarif Foundation aims to prepare students for the future in the best possible way by developing their talents and skills." She expressed satisfaction with the addition of an educational dimension to the growing relations with Burkina Faso and stated that efforts to enhance, diversify, and strengthen educational cooperation would continue.
Following the ceremony, the delegation from the Turkish Maarif Foundation, accompanied by Ambassador Arı, went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso to sign the transfer agreement. They were received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie TRAORE, and the Minister of National Education, Jacques Sosthène DINGARA.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Traore expressed his satisfaction with supporting the activities of the Turkish Maarif Foundation and noted that the strengthening relations between Burkina Faso and Türkiye provided significant opportunities to overcome the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso.
Minister of National Education Dingara also expressed his pleasure with the Turkish Maarif Foundation, known for its successful initiatives in many African countries, finally starting its operations in Burkina Faso.
Mahmut M. Özdil, a Board Member of the Turkish Maarif Foundation, who was in Ouagadougou to conduct negotiations for the transfer of schools, remarked on the significance of the transfer coinciding with the anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. He noted that with the transfer of FETÖ-affiliated schools in Burkina Faso, the Foundation now serves over 53,000 students in more than 500 educational institutions across 54 countries on six continents. In 22 of these countries, FETÖ-affiliated schools were taken over by the Turkish Maarif Foundation after the July 15 coup attempt. Özdil highlighted the Foundation’s significant role in nationalizing and rehabilitating FETÖ-affiliated schools abroad and stated that the distinguishing factor of the Foundation’s educational institutions from other international school chains is the emphasis on designing educational programs and content based on the needs of the host country and maintaining the students' connections to their national culture. He attributed the Foundation’s rapid success to a professional, transparent, and accountable management approach that leaves no room for randomness or arbitrariness and the establishment of warm, friendly, and equal relations with the host countries.
Under the agreement signed between the Turkish Maarif Foundation and the Ministry of National Education of Burkina Faso, the administrative and academic management of the three campuses will be undertaken by the Turkish Maarif Foundation starting from the 2024-2025 academic year. Mustafa Uçmaz, the Country Representative of the Turkish Maarif Foundation in Burkina Faso, stated that Turkish language classes would begin in the new academic year and that necessary measures were being taken to improve the physical conditions of the schools and rapidly increase academic success.
In Burkina Faso, where 48.1% of primary school-aged children, 57% of middle school-aged children, and 81.4% of high school-aged youth do not have access to education while 65% of the population is under the age of 25.
