"We follow a multi-layered method in education"

The 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony was held at Bahçelievler Mümtaz Turhan Social Sciences High School. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, and other guests attended the ceremony.

"The perpetrator of the incident, a 16-year-old man, has been apprehended. His connections are being investigated."

Speaking at the ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the attack in Izmir, saying, "We have received painful news from Izmir that has deeply shaken us all. Two of our police officers were martyred in the armed attack on the police station. Two of our security officers were also injured. We pray to God for mercy upon our First Class Police Chief Muhsin Aydemir and our police officer Hasan Akın, who were martyred in the heinous attack, and we wish a speedy recovery to our injured police officers Ömer Amilağ and Murat Dağlı. The perpetrator, a 16-year-old, has been apprehended. His connections are being investigated. My condolences to our entire security force."

Erdoğan emphasized that the two main themes for educational activities in the 2025-2026 academic year have been determined to be family and green homeland. He said, "With the theme 'Every child is a sapling, the first lesson is green homeland,' many activities will be held in our schools during the first week. The training programs, which will be provided over the course of ten months, will directly involve our families in the process. I congratulate both the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for this climate, environment, and family-focused calendar."

Describing teachers as pioneering and exemplary actors of the education army who serve with great dedication all across Türkiye, Erdoğan said, "Our teachers, who see their students as their own children, who do not hesitate to make any sacrifices for them, and who approach them with love, mercy, and compassion, deserve all kinds of praise. Our children who grow, learn, and blossom in the skilled hands of our teachers are the strongest guarantee of our bright future. Each of our teachers and administrators who fulfill their duties with this awareness is a medal of pride for our cherished nation. Our teacher Sibel Turan, who served as an administrator at Prof. Dr. Mümtaz Turhan Social Sciences High School for ten years and whom we sent to eternity last year, was a valuable literature teacher who devoted herself to her school and students. Unfortunately, she left us in a tragic accident. I pray to God for his mercy and offer my condolences and patience to his family. I commemorate our son Necmettin Yılmaz, our daughter Aybüke Yalçın, and all the martyrs of our education army with mercy." "I remember them. May their souls rest in peace and may they rest in peace. I also remember with mercy my own teachers who contributed to me, and I wish health to our living teachers," he said.

Explaining the importance of the education system through the words of the late writer and teacher Nurettin Topçu, Erdoğan said, "The late Nurettin Topçu, one of the intellectual workers of our education cause, made this important observation exactly 65 years ago. He said, 'Education creates the spirit of the nation. The decline of education shatters the consciousness of the nation. The failure to value education prepares the collapse of the spirit of the nation. The spirit of the nation follows whichever direction education marches.' Therefore, nation means education. Our vision of education reflects our conception of the nation. If you want to understand the past, understand the present, and shape the future, and above all, if you aim to be a strong nation, your educational horizon must encompass a broad field. With our new education model, which we implement with the principle of raising generations who will build the Turkish Century, we are not only educating people, but also striving to build a civilization. We are implementing a program appropriate to the conditions of the 21st century with the understanding of democratization, equal opportunity, inclusiveness, and active participation in education. We are shaping it in a skill-centered way that responds to all the needs of the age, "We are following a multilayered methodology that integrates with our national and moral values. We are supporting the changes we've made to the curriculum with improvements to our teachers' rights and working conditions, and we are strengthening the facilities of our schools and classrooms," he said.

"We increased the total budget allocated to education from 10.44 billion lira to 2 trillion 186 billion lira."

Erdoğan, highlighting the investments made in education in Türkiye over the last 22 years, continued his speech as follows: "As part of the Fatih project, we installed 629,277 interactive whiteboards in our classrooms. We distributed 2,407,000 tablet computers to our students. We increased the number of our libraries, which was 13,851 in 2002, to 40,944. By providing 4,078,000 textbooks free of charge to our children, we saved our parents from a significant financial burden. When our children start school, they will find their books ready on their desks, providing peace of mind for both them and their families. We increased the number of our laboratories from 21,849 to 49,666. We increased the number of our science and art centers by 20 times in the last 22 years to 364. 23 years ago, we had only 2,791 gyms. Today, we have 12,214 gyms at the service of our youth. The total budget allocated to education... In 2002, it was only 10.44 billion lira. By 2025, our budget allocated to education will be a full 2.186 trillion lira. We have strengthened our education army by appointing more than 821,000 teachers. We haven't just addressed infrastructure deficiencies. We've lifted the bans that paralyzed our education system. We've put an end to unfair practices and coefficient tyranny. We've re-established equality of opportunity in education down to the smallest detail. With our educational support, investments, services, and works, we've paved the way for generations who will build Türkiye's future.

"Our youth's invention of new inventions is an act to be appreciated, not criticized."

Drawing attention to today's technological developments, Erdoğan said, "Educational techniques, methods of accessing information and analysis are diversifying every day. I believe you are aware of the dizzying point that artificial intelligence, nuclear sciences, aviation and space technologies, and the informatics and software sectors have reached. With our Turkey Century education model, we are, of course, adapting to this process in the most effective way and often leading it. However, we do not lose sight of this fact. No matter how much the conditions change, no matter how far technology advances, the path to success throughout history has always been the same. That path is to work with discipline, to learn, and to persevere until the end. It is curiosity and passion. Curiosity is the key to science and knowledge. Our children's curiosity and enthusiasm to discover new things are the most important locomotives of learning. The more we can pave the way for generations who ask, question, investigate, pursue new inventions, and dream, the more successful we can be. The fact that our young people invent new things is not to be criticized, but to be admired. Throughout history, those who have broadened the horizons of humanity have been those who have "Some people weren't satisfied and invented new things. Every time we meet with young people, I remind them of these four principles: Read, think, apply, and achieve results. In our opinion, the secret to success lies in this formula. As a politician who has faced countless obstacles throughout his life, we have always acted with this understanding. Thankfully, we have ultimately achieved our goals. I believe that by acting on this principle, the young people here will achieve significant things for our country, our nation, and humanity," he said.

"Never forget your brothers and sisters in Gaza whose schools were destroyed by bombs and whose teachers and friends were murdered."

Addressing the youth at the end of his speech, Erdoğan said, "My dear children, do not forget. You are the future of this country, you will govern Türkiye tomorrow. You will pave the way for a great and powerful Türkiye. Each of you will play very important roles in different walks of life. From sports to art, from politics to science, from business to education, you will serve our country with love in many areas. With the achievements you will achieve, you will be a source of pride for us, our teachers, your families, and our nation, who trusts in you. I believe with all my heart that you will realize the Turkish Century. We will be with you on this journey with all our resources. We will continue to do whatever is necessary for you to achieve your goals. I have no doubt that you will work with your heads held high, aware that you are the children of a great nation. No matter what the circumstances are, never lose your ideals for yourselves, for your country, and for humanity. Never forget your brothers and sisters in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, whose schools were destroyed by bombs and whose teachers and friends were murdered by a network hostile to humanity." "Don't take it out of your heart. I expect you to work and improve yourselves, aiming not for tomorrow but for much further. I have complete confidence in you. I wish each and every one of you success. May God bless your path, your fortune, and your mind," he said. After his speech, President Erdoğan rang the bell for the first lesson with the students.

UAV

Reporter: News Center