Turkish MP challenges Ministry over co-education campaigns

Sevda Karaca, a Labor Party (EMEP) Member of Parliament for Gaziantep, has submitted a parliamentary motion to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey requesting a response from Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin regarding campaigns against co-education.

Karaca highlighted that 335 civil society organizations have issued a joint statement demanding that co-education no longer be mandatory. She argued that these efforts, along with reports from groups like the Maarif Platform, target secular and scientific education in favor of single-sex schooling.

The motion questions whether the Ministry has plans for legislative changes to phase out co-education and asks about the relationship between the Ministry and the organizations advocating for these changes. Karaca expressed concerns that moving away from co-education could negatively impact girls and children from low-income families by facilitating social segregation.