Turkey expands role in Syria’s education as Turkification concerns mount
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkey is preparing to expand its role in Syria’s education system by revising curricula, training teachers, and opening Turkish schools in Damascus and Aleppo, Turkish media reported on Sept. 5.
According to Habertürk, Ankara and Damascus have agreed to remove negative references to Turkey from Syrian textbooks, particularly in history and geography. Turkey will also support integration programs for children returning from Turkey who struggle with Arabic.
Also, two Turkish schools are reportedly planned in Aleppo and Damascus, with teacher training to take place both in Syria and Turkey.
However, the move has sparked concerns given Turkey’s record of reshaping education in areas under its military control. Since its occupation of Afrin in 2018 and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad in 2019, Turkey has imposed Turkish-language classes in schools, raised the Turkish flag on public institutions, and distributed textbooks printed in Gaziantep.
North Press had previously reported that schools in Afrin were renamed after Turkish political and military figures, and the Turkish anthem was introduced at morning assemblies.
In Sere Kaniye, a 2021 report documented students receiving Turkish-issued certificates and curricula that emphasized Turkish history and culture. Similar practices were seen in Tel Abyad, where classrooms displayed portraits of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside the Turkish flag.
In areas of northern Aleppo, Jarablus, Azaz, al-Baba, and Idlib countryside, education is overseen by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). North Press revealed in 2022 that teachers in these regions were paid directly by the Turkish Ministry of National Education, which also approved school programs.
Human rights groups and local organizations have described these policies as part of a systematic effort of “Turkification,” aimed at reshaping the cultural and social identity of northern Syria.
Analysts warn that extending such practices into government-held areas like Damascus and Aleppo risks deepening Turkey’s long-term influence over Syria’s education system.