Riyadh reaffirms its stance after closing eight Turkish schools last year amid tensions with Ankara

Saudi Arabia to close eight Turkish schools in the kingdom

photo_camera Atalayar_Arabia Saudí Turquía

Saudi Arabia will close eight Turkish schools in the Kingdom later this year, Anadolu Agency has reported. Riyadh's decision follows the closure of eight other Turkish schools last year, and is explained by the ongoing friction between the two states since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.

"Activities in Turkish schools will end at the end of this academic year," announced the Saudi Ministry of Education. The authorities have further stressed that "students will be facilitated to enrol in schools of their choice and school administrations should inform parents about the decision"

Atalayar_Arabia Saudí Turquía

The Kingdom's Ministry of Education communicated the decision in writing to schools located in the provinces of Tabuk, Riyadh, Taif and Jeddah. While schools in the cities of Dammam and Abha received a face-to-face visit from Ministry officials. Turkish schools in the provinces of Mecca and Medina will also be closed.

The total number of pupils who will be forced to enrol in other schools is 2,256. Turkey argues that this measure will lead to difficulties for those students who are not fluent in Arabic and will therefore find it difficult to continue their academic education if they remain linked to the Saudi authorities' vehicular education. 

Atalayar_Arabia Saudí Turquía

The Saudi authorities' resolution was not, however, the only one in academic matters that has raised eyebrows in Ankara. In August 2019, the Kingdom's Ministry of Education amended textbooks to refer to the Ottoman Empire's presence in the Arabian Peninsula as 'occupation'. In addition, last year saw the final closure of eight more Turkish schools, reducing the number of Turkish schools in Saudi Arabia to 22. 

Two months ago, the Turkish government's Director General of Education Abroad, Ahmed Bilgili, told parliament that the ministry was trying to use "all possible means" to reopen schools in Saudi Arabia. Ministry sources said at the time that tensions over the schools 'have eased slightly since a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and King Salman of Saudi Arabia last November'.

Atalayar_Arabia Saudí Turquía (

However, recent developments on the issue point in the opposite direction. Riyadh and Ankara's positions at the regional and international level diverged on some points, however, diplomatic relations were stable until the October 2018 heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi by a hit squad sent by Mohammed bin Salman himself to the Saudi Embassy, according to the latest CIA investigation.

Following the disappearance of the Saudi journalist, the Ottoman judiciary launched a judicial investigation to shed light on the case. The proceedings initiated by the Turkish courts resulted in prison sentences for eight people involved in Khashoggi's murder. Only a few months earlier, Saudi Arabia held its own trial on the matter.

Turkey's intentionality in pursuing the case irritated Riyadh, which decided to exert pressure on Saudi companies to boycott Turkey's business sector. Since then, Saudi-Turkish relations have been on a negative dynamic, reflected in the disparity of positions on Qatar and the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Atalayar_Arabia Saudí Turquía

The latter has been the subject of controversy between the two countries following the signing of a cooperation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Greece on defence matters. This included, among other points, the delivery to Riyadh of one of the Patriot air defence batteries that Athens bought from Washington. Greek Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said that 'Greece and Saudi Arabia are linked by strong friendships, have common concerns about current geostrategic challenges and a common vision for the future'.

Immersed in a complex geopolitical situation and playing a lesser role than its rivals, Erdogan's government aims to influence a line of recovery and stabilisation of its bilateral relations with the different regional actors. For this reason, Ankara is trying to show a favourable image in the Middle East, especially with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
 

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