# Turkish National Education Ministry initiatives

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-national-education-ministry-initiatives
> Updated: 2026-10-09T10:58:41.000Z. Sources: 33. Developments: 4.

Turkish National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has been conducting various official visits and initiatives focused on educational infrastructure and curriculum development. In late September 2026, Tekin visited Trabzon to participate in the opening of the Trabzon Education Complex in Maçka and announced a new gastronomy school project. By early October 2026, the focus shifted toward media literacy and curriculum reform through the ‘Haberimiz Olsun’ project, aligning with the ‘Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli’ to move toward analytical knowledge application. On October 4, 2026, Tekin addressed student concerns regarding the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS), confirming no changes to the system, and noted rising performance in OECD and PISA rankings. During subsequent visits to Hakkâri, Şemdinli, and Yüksekova, he reported significant infrastructure growth, noting that the number of teachers in Hakkâri has nearly tripled since 2002. In Şemdinli, he indicated that the construction or improvement of two to three schools would be considered for the 2027 investment program. He reiterated that the ‘Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli’ aims to balance academic success with national and spiritual values. On October 9, 2026, while attending the opening of the Bayburtlu Hasan Şentürk Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in İzmir, Tekin highlighted major infrastructure shifts. He stated that the total number of classrooms in Turkey has increased from 350,000 in 2002 to 750,000, with approximately 600,000 new classrooms constructed to replace those lost to earthquakes or other factors. He also noted that the average number of students per classroom has decreased from historical highs of 70–80 to an average in the 20s. During the same visit to İzmir, Tekin announced that 120 schools completed in the last three years are awaiting official openings.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-09: Yusuf Tekin announces construction of 600,000 classrooms in Turkey

Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced the construction of 600,000 new classrooms since 2002 and discussed educational investments and environmental awareness during his visit to İzmir.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yusuf-tekin-announces-750000-classrooms-in-turkey

### 2026-10-06: Minister Yusuf Tekin visits Hakkâri and Şemdinli to discuss education reforms

Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin visited Hakkâri and Şemdinli to discuss school investments and defended the new national curriculum reforms and Turkey's rising OECD education rankings.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minister-yusuf-tekin-visits-hakkri-and-emdinli-to-discuss-education-reforms

### 2026-10-04: Yusuf Tekin addresses Turkish education reforms and PISA rankings

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin highlighted Turkey's rising PISA rankings and clarified that the YKS exam system will remain unchanged for current students despite new curriculum implementations.

23 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yusuf-tekin-visits-pilot-school-for-media-literacy-project

### 2026-09-19: Minister Yusuf Tekin to visit Trabzon for school openings and gastronomy project

Minister Yusuf Tekin will visit Trabzon to open the Turgut Aydın Holding-donated Education Complex and announce a new gastronomy school focused on local culinary arts.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minister-yusuf-tekin-to-visit-trabzon-for-school-openings-and-gastronomy-project

---
Cite as: Turkish National Education Ministry initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-national-education-ministry-initiatives