In Berlin’s Schöneberg-Tempelhof district, Turkish language and culture classes provided by teachers from Türkiye’s Ministry of National Education (MEB) to 256 Turkish students will no longer be conducted as of Jan. 31, 2025, due to red-tape obstacles.
Currently, MEB teachers offer Turkish language and culture classes to approximately 2,250 students in 38 state schools and 27 locations belonging to civil society organizations across Berlin.
These courses are organized under the 1957 Cultural Agreement between Türkiye and Germany, aiming to help Turkish children in Germany develop fluency in Turkish, gain a deeper understanding of their culture and maintain strong ties between the two countries.
However, various obstacles have recently been imposed on these classes, particularly in the Berlin state. School principals and local municipalities have reportedly created difficulties, with some municipalities demanding rent for classroom use or introducing bureaucratic barriers to discourage teachers. In some cases, when classrooms were not allocated, lessons were conducted in school corridors.
Most recently, it was announced that Turkish language and culture classes in schools in the Schöneberg-Tempelhof district would be discontinued from Jan. 31, 2025.
Türkiye’s education counselor at the Berlin Embassy, Metin Aksoy, stated that the Schöneberg-Tempelhof Municipality canceled these lessons in 10 schools, affecting 256 students.
Aksoy noted that discussions to continue the classes have so far been unsuccessful, saying: “Approval for the lessons has not been granted. We have to leave the schools.”
He explained that school renovations and repairs were cited as reasons for the cancellations but suggested that the real intention was to prevent the classes from being held.
Aksoy emphasized that political motives might be behind these obstacles and that they were facing unlawful demands.
Highlighting that Turkish and Turkish culture lessons for Turkish or students of Turkish descent in Germany are a legal right, Aksoy said: “For our citizens here, education is of utmost importance. Access to native language courses is one of the most fundamental human rights. We prioritize ensuring that the right to education is accessible without any obstacles.”
He also stressed their efforts to expand these lessons in Berlin and urged German authorities to facilitate the process.
Aksoy called on parents to request Turkish language and culture classes from school administrations for their children, expressing hope that these issues would be resolved soon and the disruptions within Berlin’s municipalities would be addressed.
Meanwhile, teachers affiliated with the Berlin Senate provide “native language” and “heritage language” courses to approximately 2,500 students in 24 schools across the city.
