Turkey Bans Foreign Names for Private Schools

Turkey’s Ministry of National Education has announced a ban on foreign names for private educational institutions operating in the country, citing the need to protect “national identity.”

According to a ministry statement, Turkish private educational institutions will be required to use meaningful Turkish names that are in line with national, moral, human, spiritual, and cultural values.

The new rule, which will take effect at the beginning of next October, will apply to both newly opened schools and existing institutions, which will also be required to change their names.

The ministry did not provide a list of existing schools affected by the decision or specify exactly what requirements a name must meet to be considered acceptable. However, Turkish media cited examples of institutions with names such as “İngiliz Kültür” (English Culture) and “Amerikan Kültür” (American Culture).

The new rules will not apply to minority schools, foreign and international educational institutions, or foreign-language courses, which will be allowed to keep their foreign names.

The ministry said educational institutions’ names should not conflict with national and cultural values or contribute to what it describes as “linguistic alienation” and the erosion of national identity