The 5th Istanbul Education Summit, themed Improving the World through Education, started Friday at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul and continues through Saturday.
Organized by the Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMV), the opening session brought together first lady Emine Erdoğan and Syria’s first lady Latifa al-Droubi, alongside education ministers from TMV countries, to initiate a focused program of panels, youth sessions and ministerial dialogues.
Emine Erdoğan delivered remarks stating: “Artificial intelligence, which has opened an entirely new chapter in humanity’s scientific advancement, has transformed into a war criminal. Highly advanced weaponry has been pointed at infants in Gaza. Those devoid of any sense of conscience went so far as to use hunger and thirst as instruments of war. Humanity has once again witnessed how knowledge, when not guided by wisdom, can be used for the invention of evil.”
Addressing her remarks to her Syrian counterpart, she noted: “The first lady of Syria, my esteemed sister Latife, is someone who attaches significant importance to education and whom I believe will be a pioneering leader in this field. In our one-on-one conversations, education has been one of our most prominent topics. God willing, through the exemplary work of our Maarif Foundation, we will also support the revitalization of the educational infrastructure in Syria and will collectively erase the painful traces left by weapons through the healing power of the pen.”
She further stated, “Our Türkiye Maarif Foundation has long delivered an education model that respects and remains sensitive to local cultures in every country where it operates, establishing a benchmark for educational diplomacy.”
In her address, she highlighted the significance of discussing education, emphasizing that this year’s summit aims to “heal the world through education.” “The Summit will showcase how education nourishes the human spirit, heals its wounds, and illuminates darkness. It will remind us that the best version of the world is built with the pen and that the delicate calibration of the scales of justice can only be achieved by those who aspire to such a world.”
She further emphasized that, “Türkiye’s educational ethos is being recorded in history as humanity’s greatest act of goodwill.” Highlighting Türkiye’s broader global mission, she stated that the nation does not export education as a tool of dominance, but rather as a contribution to peace, “But with a distinction, not to proclaim itself as the center of civilization, science, technology, arts and culture like the West, nor to exploit minds, as has historically been done under the guise of education in colonized countries.”
She highlighted Türkiye’s mission to raise students who repair life’s fractures and serve humanity with moral leadership, calling this vision one of Türkiye’s greatest contributions to humanity. She noted that Türkiye extends this approach globally through the Maarif Foundation, which distinguishes itself by avoiding colonial practices and instead delivering culturally respectful education across many countries.
Citing the 2024 Global Education Monitoring Report, she highlighted that 251 million young people remain out of school worldwide, noting, “As long as that 33% cannot attend school, the scales of justice will remain unbalanced.”
She stressed the imperative of educational equity for sustainable development, climate action, and global peace, and highlighted systemic failures that have stripped education of its transformative power. She expressed confidence that the summit would deliver critical insights and establish a renewed roadmap.
During the opening session, the foundation’s promotional film was showcased alongside the poignant story of Abdoul Rachid, a survivor of the tragic 2021 school fire in Niger that claimed the lives of many students. Now a student at the Niger-Türkiye Friendship School, Rachid walked onto the stage carrying the wooden “luh” slate he used as a notebook, a cherished keepsake he managed to rescue from the flames. He presented the slate to Emine Erdoğan, who warmly embraced him and conveyed her heartfelt gratitude.
Syria’s first lady, Latifa al-Droubi, used her address to underscore the exceptional resilience demonstrated by Syrian children throughout years of conflict and displacement. She recalled how generations of students “ran to schools without doors, studied in homes without roofs, and slept in classrooms where the teacher was the only civil servant present,” noting that, despite these severe operational constraints, “they never stepped back from learning, not even for a moment.”
Positioning Syria as a nation with a profound civilizational footprint, she emphasized that a country that has built 40 civilizations now remains firmly committed to reconstructing its cultural, educational, and social infrastructure “by rebuilding light from the ashes of darkness.” She stressed that neither the destruction of thousands of schools nor attempts to exploit children’s educational aspirations had been sufficient to erode national resolve or influence the collective will of the Syrian people.
Al-Droubi also highlighted the global educational imprint of Syrians. “Yes, Syrians have left their mark everywhere, making it even greater in every country they reached,” she stated, noting that Syrian-led educational initiatives continue across borders, with more than a thousand schools now operating internationally and serving over 125,000 children.
“When we talk about education today, we are no longer referring solely to the institutional mechanisms that lift individuals out of despair and ignorance. We are speaking about a comprehensive, future-driven ecosystem designed to build capability, unlock human potential and enhance societal resilience in an increasingly complex global environment,” al-Droubi also stated.
She concluded by extending appreciation to first lady Emine Erdoğan and to the Turkish people, acknowledging their sustained generosity and humanitarian support toward millions of Syrians over the past decade.
TMV President Mahmut Özdil, in his opening address, underscored the organization’s expanding global mandate in education and diplomacy. He emphasized that the foundation now operates in 64 countries, managing “kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, girls’ schools, boys’ schools, colleges, dormitories and Maarif vocational training centers,” and noted that these institutions are steadily increasing each year in both capacity and influence.
Özdil stressed that their work is not limited to opening schools, explaining, “From the beginning, our work has never been solely about opening schools. We have prioritized building a strong intellectual foundation that compels us to rethink our educational philosophy, objectives, and methodologies, and to assess our practices through a clear, principled framework.”
Clarifying the Foundation’s approach, he stated, “When we speak of healing the world through education, we are not referring to a model that imposes prescriptions on societies. We are speaking about an approach that recognizes the experiences, needs, pain, hopes, failures, and virtues of different geographies and different peoples.” He added, “It is an approach that chooses to face suffering, but does not remain consumed by it – transforming pain into responsibility, and responsibility into a shared future.”
He highlighted the strategic initiatives emerging from this approach, stating, “Our academic programs, curriculum-development efforts, long-term initiatives such as the Turkish Maarif Encyclopedia, and the Istanbul Education Summit –now in its fifth year – are all tangible outcomes of this strategic vision.”
Drawing attention to Türkiye’s deepening role in development cooperation, Özdil cited the country’s extensive training programs, noting that “In 2022 alone, over 7,000 people in 31 countries were trained through the technical support of our institutions such as TIKA and Diyanet.”
He described the educational vision they advocate. “It is a vision of education as a strong and enabling structure: a foundation through which students can actualize their potential, grow freely, and cultivate conscience, intellect, compassion, and a sense of justice.” This model, he said, aims to produce individuals “empowered with hope and responsibility, unafraid to challenge false assumptions and outdated paradigms.”
