The 16th Consultation Meeting of Country Representatives Concluded

April 07, 2026

The 16th Consultation Meeting of Country Representatives, organized to evaluate the educational activities carried out by Turkish Maarif Foundation in different geographies, to strengthen internal coordination, and to determine the goals for the upcoming period, has concluded. Bringing together representatives from 64 countries, the meeting became an important platform where the Foundation’s strategic roadmap was discussed. During the five-day consultation process, comprehensive evaluation meetings were held between central units and country representations. In the meetings where the current situation was addressed, new-term objectives and strategic priorities were put on the table. On the fourth day of the program, a talk was held with journalist-writer Taha Kılınç within the scope of “Maarif Talks,” and the program was enriched with historical and cultural visits.

The meeting concluded with a closing program attended by a wide audience. The closing program was attended by the Minister of National Education Prof. Dr. Yusuf Tekin, TMF President Mahmut M. Özdil, Ambassador to Baku Prof. Dr. Birol Akgün, as well as foundation executives and staff.

“We are a community of brothers serving the same purpose”
In his speech at the closing program, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin drew attention to the founding rationale and mission of Turkish Maarif Foundation. Stating that the foundation holds a special meaning for him, Tekin said: “I do not see myself as a guest at Turkish Maarif Foundation. From my perspective, Turkish Maarif Foundation is a very different institution. Such a structure became necessary in order to overcome the obstacles we encountered while conducting educational activities abroad on behalf of the Republic of Türkiye. Just as in the country, we were also faced with tutelary mechanisms abroad, and this situation made it difficult for Türkiye to implement its own education policies.”

Emphasizing that Türkiye has gained significant momentum in the field of education in recent years, Tekin continued by referring to international indicators: “In the 2024 TIMSS scores, we are currently among the top three countries among OECD members. We are receiving the return of the steps we have taken in education. With the FATİH Project, approximately 30 million tablets were distributed with an investment of nearly 10 billion dollars, all classrooms were equipped with interactive boards, and one of the largest educational content networks in the world was established.”

Drawing attention to the international role of the Maarif Foundation, Tekin concluded his remarks by saying: “Turkish Maarif Foundation and the Ministry of National Education actually act in line with the same objective. One of us represents Türkiye domestically, the other internationally. Therefore, we are all a community of brothers oriented toward and serving the same purpose.”

President Özdil: “We clarified our future orientations”
President of Turkish Maarif Foundation Mahmut M. Özdil emphasized that the consultation meetings carry strategic importance for the foundation. Expressing his satisfaction with the meeting achieving its objective, Özdil stated that he sees this meeting as a valuable mechanism in which the strategic vision is determined, the foundation’s goals are placed at the center of focus, and future strategic orientations are clarified.

In his speech, President Özdil also made the following evaluations: “Today, the world discusses not only access issues in education but also qualified and comprehensive learning. UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report, announced very recently, once again reminded us that education systems should not only transfer knowledge but also produce values, and should be resilient and inclusive structures. It is now a reality that education systems are evaluated not only by schooling rates but also by learning outcomes, equality of opportunity, teacher quality, and the resilience of systems against crises. Making quality in education measurable and sustainable, developing inclusive models, and making systems more resilient against global uncertainties are among the main priorities. Türkiye, with its deep-rooted educational tradition and the reform will it has demonstrated in recent years, is not outside these global discussions; on the contrary, it is an active subject of them. Turkish Maarif Foundation, as one of the actors carrying this vision internationally, represents Türkiye’s understanding of education, its perspective on quality, and the value it gives to people in every country where it operates. In this context, the importance we attach to the quality management system, our continuous efforts to improve our educational content, and our endeavor to create inclusive educational environments in different geographies are both aligned with global trends and strongly overlap with Türkiye’s education vision.”

Drawing attention to institutional unity and common goals, Özdil concluded his speech with the following words: “Although we serve in different geographies, we have a common goal: raising good individuals and representing our country in the best possible way. We must continue to act in harmony by seeing our differences as richness.”

In line with the evaluations made throughout the meeting, the roadmap of Turkish Maarif Foundation for the upcoming period was shaped. Important steps were determined to strengthen institutional capacity and to establish a more effective structure on a global scale.