Turkey's Higher Education Board (YÖK) announced yesterday that student admissions to French studies at Turkish universities would be limited, citing the reciprocity principle and the lack of jobs for students.

University departments where French Language and Literature and French classes are taught will not admit new students until further notice. Turkish media outlets reported that the YÖK said France does not offer undergraduate-level courses in the Turkish language and Turkology and the move to stop admissions was decided on this basis.

There are some 19 French programs at Turkish universities and 16 of them have not admitted students yet. The decision will not affect French programs with students that are already enrolled.