“Let’s fight this terrorist organization”, said Turkish ambassador to Macedonia, Tulin Erkal Kara when referring to the private school “Yahya Kemal”. Her comments came while she promoted the “Marif” Foundation yesterday in Skopje, reports Portalb.mk.
She went further as she appealed to parents to enroll their children in the “Marif” Foundation, warning “if they do not want to be terrorists in the future”.
“I appeal to all of you and the public, to come, all of us together, and register our children in the schools of the Marif Foundation. If we, as parents, do not want our children to be the terrorists of the future, then we should direct them to the schools of “Marif” because “Yahya Kemal” does not represent us. Come and fight this terrorist organization, in an effective way, and not just on a declarative level”, said Kara.
Portalb.mk requested a comment from the Turkish Embassy in Macedonia concerning Ambassador Kara’s statement, but did not receive an answer to their question: “Does the Embassy have the same opinion as Ambassador Kara and does this means that children who study at “Yahya Kemal College” are terrorists?”
The Ministry of Education and Science did not want to comment on Kara’s statement either, however they did report that the “Marif” Foundation is not a school and does not work in accordance to legal provisions. As for Yahya Kemal and all other schools, the ministry stated that if they work in accordance with the law, they will run smoothly.
“All schools registered in Macedonia must work in accordance with legal provisions and specifications, and in this regard, the control of all private and state schools, as in the case of the Private Gymnasium “Yahya Kemal” is the same as all other schools. The “Marif” Foundation was not established in accordance to the legal provisions set out in the field of education. The Ministry of Education and Science can not comment on the statements made by the ambassador”, the MES told Portabl.mk.
The government, however, refused to answer the question “whether they will ask for evidence and arguments from the Turkish Ambassador to Macedonia, Tilin Erkal Kara regarding her statement and whether they agree with her claim that – “Yahya Kemal” is a terrorist organization?”
