Ashraf AboArafe
It’s announced that the Turkish Higher Education Council(THEC) announced the provision of an exceptional scholarship to Palestinian students who have obtained their high school diploma and who have moved to Egypt under the pressure of the war raging in Gaza since October 27.
A delegation from the council, headed by Prof. Dr. Khalidun Koktas, held interviews at the Yunus Emre Institute in Cairo over the past three days with more than 300 Palestinian students nominated by the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo to receive the scholarship.
In a statement, Koktas explained that during their interviews with the Palestinian students, they identified the specializations they wish to enroll in, stressing their keenness to provide them with places in Turkish universities to study those specializations.
The move comes within the framework of Turkish efforts with Egypt to improve the conditions of those affected by the war in Gaza.
In a meeting with the students nominated for the scholarship, student Jihan Al-Ghandour (17 years old) expressed his happiness with the scholarship, indicating his desire to study human medicine to help his family and relatives in the Gaza Strip, while student Hoda Muhammad Diab (18 years old) praised the efforts made by Egypt for the sector whose educational and service infrastructure completely collapsed at the hands of the occupation, and said, “I completed my secondary education in Egypt – after we sought refuge there – within two months with a total of 93.9%.” She added, “I love learning languages and getting to know different cultures, and I am fluent in English and Turkish.
Turkey is an extension of Islamic civilization in a European guise, and reflects civilization and sophistication at the same time, and supports the Palestinian cause. They told me that the history of Turkey is written on the walls of Istanbul, and I would like to see that for myself.” For his part, the Director of Yunus Emre Institute in Cairo (Turkish Cultural Center), Amin Boyraz, pointed out that Turkish institutions have been seeking to support the Palestinian brothers in Gaza since the first day of the war, which has affected many Palestinian students. Boyraz expressed his pleasure in hosting the Palestinian students nominated for the scholarship at the center, wishing them success in their educational life in Türkiye.
