Turkish officials and Palestinian Education Minister Sabri Saidam inaugurated a Palestinian school campus in Istanbul on Friday. The campus has a nursery, primary, middle and high school and has a Palestinian curriculum.

Students from Arabic-speaking countries, from Palestine and Qatar to Syria, Iraq and Egypt will enroll in the school in the Bağcılar district. Fifty students already enrolled in the privately run Jasmine International Schools, which has a capacity of 300 students.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Saidam thanked Turkey for embracing refugees and said he was proud of seeing a Palestinian school in Turkey. "This is a dream come true," he said. Turkey and Palestine enjoy close ties, and Ankara is one of the fiercest critics of Israel over its blockade targeting Palestinians. Turkey also contributes to education with aid to schools in Palestinian territories.