Politics · Turkey · 7 hrs ago
Turkey’s education minister credits Erdoğan with restoring imam hatip schools
At an event in Erzurum marking 75 years of imam hatip schools, Turkey’s education minister credited Erdoğan with restoring the schools.
Yusuf Tekin said the schools first appeared in the 1910s and were established again in 1951.
He described restrictions introduced after the 1997 military council process, including changes that closed the schools’ middle-school sections.
Tekin said imam hatip enrolment fell to about 2% of students after those measures.
He said the restrictions were removed after Erdoğan’s party came to power in 2002, allowing enrolment to recover.
Tekin also said the schools now offer programs ranging from religious music to science and social studies.
The schools continue to expand their range of programs, though Tekin gave no specific next steps.
Turkey’s Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the “third founder” of imam hatip schools.
Tekin credited Erdoğan’s efforts with restoring the schools’ freedom after restrictions introduced in the 1990s.
He made the remarks at a 75th-anniversary celebration for imam hatip schools in Erzurum.
Tekin said the schools were first established in the 1910s and established again in 1951.
He said the schools’ share of students fell after measures introduced following the February 28, 1997 process.
- Who
- Education Minister Yusuf Tekin spoke about the schools and credited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with their restoration.
- What
- Tekin called Erdoğan the “third founder” of imam hatip schools.
- When
- The date of the celebration is not stated. The article was published on October 27, 2026.
- Where
- Necip Fazıl Kısakürek Cultural Center in Erzurum, Turkey.
- Why
- Tekin said Erdoğan’s efforts lifted restrictions and allowed families to send their children to the schools freely.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Tekin said schools combining religious education with the sciences were established under the name EimmevelHuteba.
Tekin said a Republican People’s Party convention discussed addressing a shortage of imams in villages.
Tekin said imam hatip schools were established for a second time, following a proposal by Celalettin Ökten.
Tekin said measures following this process led to restrictions affecting imam hatip schools.
Tekin said the restrictions were lifted after Erdoğan took office as prime minister.
Tekin said he presented Erdoğan with work to improve imam hatip education, after which project-school programs began.
- Speaker
- Yusuf Tekin, Turkey’s education minister
- President credited
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Event
- 75th-anniversary celebration for imam hatip schools
- Venue
- Necip Fazıl Kısakürek Cultural Center, Erzurum
- Second establishment
- 1951
- Education reform work
- Tekin said he presented proposals to Erdoğan in 2013
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What people are saying
The third founder of imam hatip schools is our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; I want history to record it this way.
Thanks to his efforts, imam hatip schools regained their freedom.
The will of February 28, which they said would last a thousand years, thankfully ended in 2002.