Riyadh reaffirms its stance after closing eight Turkish schools last year amid tensions with Ankara -
Saudi Arabia will close eight Turkish schools in the Kingdom later this year, Anadolu Agency has reported. Riyadh s decision follows the closure of eight other Turkish schools last year, and is explained by the ongoing friction between the two states since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. Activities in Turkish schools will end at the end of this academic year, announced the Saudi Ministry of Education. The authorities have further stressed that students will be facilitated to enrol in schools of their choice and school administrations should inform parents about the decision
Published date: 16 March 2021 13:30 UTC | Last update: 1 week 5 days ago
Saudi Arabia reportedly closed eight Turkish schools in the cities of Mecca and Medina last year, as Turkish exports to Riyadh have plummeted amid an unofficial Saudi boycott.
Two Turkish Ministry of Education officials told the Turkish parliament last week that, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t overcome Saudi bureaucratic obstacles to keep the schools open.
“They were de facto closed at the end of 2020. We are trying every possible means through diplomatic channels to reopen these schools,” said Ahmet Bilgili, director-general for overseas education, during a parliamentary briefing.
Another Turkish official, Burcu Dalkiran, said that tensions over the schools have been slightly eased since a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia s King Salman last November.