İn a landmark move reflecting strengthened educational
cooperation between Syria and Türkiye, Turkish language departments will open
at Damascus and Aleppo universities starting from the 2025-2026 academic year.
This initiative is part of broader protocols focused on boosting academic exchange,
rehabilitating education infrastructure, and fostering cultural ties between
the neighbouring countries.
Turkish Language Departments to Launch in Syrian Universities
As reported by Ali Çimen of Turkiye Today, Syrian and
Turkish authorities have agreed to establish Turkish language departments at
the Universities of Damascus and Aleppo during the 2025-2026 academic year.
This development follows signed cooperation protocols that cover various
aspects of the education sector including joint curriculum development and
sending Turkish academics to work within Syrian universities. The agreement
also provides for the mutual recognition and equivalence of academic degrees
between the two nations. High school graduates in Syria will be able to select
the new Turkish language departments among their university admission
preferences starting with this academic year.
The move coincides with a rising interest in Turkish
language learning among Syrian students, especially in Aleppo, where private
language centres have proliferated over the past two years. Observers interpret
the initiative as laying solid groundwork for lasting academic and cultural
collaboration between Syria and Türkiye.
Background of Syrian-Turkish Educational Cooperation
Mohammed Halabi of Saudi-owned Levant 24 highlights that
Turkey’s educational involvement in Syria has intensified since the 2018
establishment of Turkish universities in northern Syrian cities, including
Afrin, Aleppo, and Idlib. These institutions collectively offer a variety of
academic programmes aligned with international standards, covering fields such
as engineering, medicine, and social sciences. In May 2025, Syrian Minister of
Higher Education and Scientific Research, Marwan al-Halabi, signed a
cooperation agreement with Turkey’s Council of Higher Education president, Erol
Özvar, to enhance academic collaboration, introduce advanced fields such as
artificial intelligence, and exchange academic expertise between the two
countries’ institutions.
During the opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 academic year
at Trabzon’s Black Sea Technical University, President Erol Özvar announced
plans to establish a Turkish-Syrian Friendship University in Damascus, with a
branch to be opened in Aleppo. This university project represents a step
towards educational development and cultural exchange facilitating mutual
understanding and workforce development essential for Syria’s post-war
reconstruction efforts.
Official Responses on Educational Cooperation
SANA’s Iman and Fedaa reported that on 28 August 2025,
Minister Marwan al-Halabi met with Turkish chargé d’affaires Burhan Koroglu in
Damascus to discuss the establishment of a joint Syrian-Turkish university and
the opening of Turkish language teaching departments at Damascus University.
Discussions also included forming a cooperation group between Syrian and
Turkish universities, enhancing academic exchanges, and creating institutional
twinning especially in engineering, technology, and Sharia sciences. Minister
al-Halabi emphasised the historical ties and the importance of building trust
and cooperation between the peoples and governments of Syria and Turkey. Burhan
Koroglu expressed appreciation for the strong bilateral partnership and
highlighted Turkey’s support for recognizing Turkish academic certificates and
facilitating joint scientific research.
Protocols to Enhance Educational Infrastructure
As reported by Enab Baladi journalists on 9 July 2025, the
Syrian Ministry of Education signed a joint cooperation protocol with the
Turkish Ministry of National Education aimed at rehabilitating war-damaged
Syrian schools and expanding educational opportunities for Syrian youth. The
agreement includes licensing Turkish international and private schools in
Syria, facilitating residency permits for Turkish educational staff, and
providing teacher training and exam technical support. Efforts also focus on
repairing schools and supplying necessary equipment according to Syrian
priorities.
The protocol envisages equipping vocational education
centres, updating curricula to remove outdated or inappropriate content
inherited from the previous regime, and enhancing counselling and social
support services for students. Both sides agreed to facilitate mutual
recognition of academic degrees and documents issued from their joint educational
efforts. A joint working group will oversee implementation and further
cooperation agreements are expected in the near future.
Preparations for Turkish Language as a Foreign Language
On 28 May 2025, Turkiye Today reported that Syrian and
Turkish higher education bodies signed an agreement forming a working committee
to study the possibility of offering Turkish as a second foreign language at
Syrian universities. While this initiative is still in the preparatory phase,
it reflects the growing cultural engagement and mutual respect between the two
nations. Key collaborative efforts include institutional twinning programmes
between universities, annual education forums hosted alternately by Syria and
Turkey, and appointing Syrian PhD holders from Turkish universities to Syrian
faculties. Additionally, work is underway to develop a Turkish-Syrian joint
university symbolizing academic solidarity.
Curriculum Revisions and Language Integration
Caliber.Az journalist Vugar Khalilov reported in September
2025 that efforts are ongoing to remove anti-Turkish content from Syrian school
textbooks, particularly in history and geography courses. This revision
supports the opening of two Turkish schools in Damascus and Aleppo, where Syrian
teachers will receive training both in Turkey and in Syria. Turkish educators
will assist Syrian children returning from Turkey with limited Arabic
proficiency. Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin emphasised the priority of
updating educational content and supporting student reintegration during his
recent visit to Damascus.
Broader Cultural and Educational Impact
This educational engagement is part of a broader framework
to restore and enhance cultural, academic, and scientific ties between Syria
and Turkey after years of conflict in the region. According to the statement
from Syrian Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Turko, Syria is also in dialogue with
Germany and other countries for bilingual educational programmes integrating
Turkish alongside Arabic. Initiatives like the Aleppo Arabic Language Camp,
jointly organised by Ibn Khaldun University and Aleppo University, also reflect
the growing academic cooperation around language instruction in the region.
The opening of Turkish language departments at Damascus and Aleppo universities, alongside broader educational cooperation protocols between Syria and Turkey, marks a significant development in the academic landscape of Syria. These initiatives serve not only to rebuild and modernise Syria’s education system but also to foster enduring cultural ties and mutual understanding between the two neighbouring countries.