Hurriyet, Turkey
March 26 2010
Education for kids of undocumented Armenians becomes mystery
Friday, March 26, 2010
ANKARA – Radikal
Providing education for children of undocumented Armenian workers has
become a mystery after a Cabinet minister disputed recent remarks of
the deputy prime minister and said they might have education soon.
While confirming the ongoing efforts to provide education to children
of foreigners who live in Turkey legally, Education Minister Nimet
�ubukçu said it is a hard task to offer schooling for children of
undocumented Armenians, the daily Radikal reported on Friday.
Ã?ubukçu’s comment came a few days after Deputy Prime Minister Bülent
Arınç told the daily Hürriyet and private NTV channel that providing
education would not be good only for the children of undocumented
Armenians, but also for Armenians who are `in Turkey for a reason.’
The education debate on undocumented Armenians in Turkey also came
just days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an threatened to
expel them.
`Despite the existing sanction in the law concerning undocumented
immigrants, Turkey has opened its arms for those coming from Armenia
to find employment. The children of these people who came to Turkey
for business should be able to go to school if they want. I believe
the prime minister is sympathetic [to this],’ Arınç said.
However, when asked if there is such a project in the Education
Ministry, �ubukçu said: `That matter in the news story was presented
within the scope of children of undocumented Armenians studying at
Armenian minority schools in Turkey. However, the statement that Mr.
Arınç made was about an adjustment to the system for foreign citizens
who live in Turkey, for business or for other purposes, to be able to
send their children to school.’
According to the Lausanne Treaty, she said, students attending
minority schools have to be Turkish citizens and minority members.
`Therefore, a dispute exists on whether this condition would be asked
or not. We are making an effort to solve the problems that religious
minorities experience in Turkey.’