Private schools leave mark on Science Olympiad


Date posted: May 6, 2015

İzmir’s private Yamanlar, Ankara’s private Samanyolu and İstanbul’s Fatih colleges all left their mark on the 20th National Antalya Mathematics Science Olympiad, organized for primary and secondary schools by Akdeniz University and held on May 3 and 4.

Yamanlar College ranked first among all competing schools, winning five gold medals, six silver and eight bronze. Attended by 700 students across the country, Samanyolu College won four gold and two silver medals, while Fatih College followed Samanyolu with two gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the math olympiad.

Akdeniz University Rector İsrafil Kurtcephe and İlham Aliyev, the university’s foreman, gave out the medals at the competition’s award ceremony, which took place at the university.

Yüksel Demir, one of the teachers of the winning students, said at the ceremony that these students are also representing Turkey abroad at the national team and they are also winners of numerous similar competitions organized by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). He added: “I congratulate all of them on their achievements.”

However, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has conducted a smear campaign against the private schools on the grounds that they are linked to the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Erdoğan has falsely accused the movement of plotting against and trying to bring down himself and the government.

Erdoğan has claimed that the movement is behind the revelation of the Dec. 17, 2013 graft scandal, which implicated high-ranking government officials, former ministers and Erdoğan’s inner circle, and launched a witch-hunt to eliminate all institutions linked to the movement.

Numerous foreign countries also host Turkish schools affiliated with the Gülen movement and Erdoğan’s repeated calls for the closure of these foreign schools have fallen on deaf ears and been rejected.

Erdoğan’s unrelenting denunciation of such schools and calls over the past two years for their break up are yet to yield any results. The schools are considered a source of national pride because of their contribution to improved educational chances to students in many countries such as Africa and Central Asia.

Source: Today's Zaman , May 06, 2015


Related News

Islamic scholar Gülen calls for calm among supporters

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has called on his supporters to remain calm and be patient in the wake of rumors that Istanbul police were planning to start an operation to round up hundreds of people close to his movement. Gülen called for patience and calm among the relatives of those who are being probed or expecting probes against them, advising them to pray and read the Quran.

Woman accused of being Gülenist by ex-husband in prison for 10 months

Tuba Kaya, a 27-year-old reporter from the now-closed Zaman daily, was arrested on Sept. 19 after her ex-husband lodged a complaint claiming that she was a member of Turkey’s Gülen group, which the Turkish government accuses of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Former AK Party minister praises Turkish Olympiads

Former interior minister and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İstanbul deputy Abdulkadir Aksu said on Thursday that Turkish schools abroad serve as islands of peace, adding that he is looking forward to this year’s Turkish Language Olympiads.

Slain prosecutor’s daughter: My father was not with Gülen movement

The daughter of former Bursa public prosecutor Seyfettin Yiğit, who allegedly committed suicide in a prison bathroom on Friday morning after he was put behind bars over Gülen movement ties, said on Saturday that her father was not affiliated with the Gülen movement but was with the Süleymancı movement, an Islamic movement in Turkey founded by Turkish Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan in the early 20th century.

Pak Turk International Schools, Colleges Organize 14th Inter-School Mathematics Olympiad

The 14th edition of much awaited annual event National Inter Schools Mathematics Olympiad (ISMO) was held in 28 branches of Pak Turk international school and college and around 14,000 students participated from all over country.

Islamic scholar Gülen says Turkey’s graft scandal can’t be covered up

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said a recent graft scandal that has rocked Turkey for nearly five weeks cannot be covered up despite massive efforts by the authorities to weather it down and crush those who speak out on the matter.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Is Gülen Movement A Religious Community (cemaat) or A Social Community (camia)?

Kosovo PM Haradinaj: Deportation of Turkish citizens was hasty

Gülen extends condolences over death of Saudi King

CHP: Anti-Hizmet ops were part of agreement between Erdoğan, military

People happy in town Kimse Yok Mu helped build

Greek Orthodox Bishop Demetrios Honored

Questions for the government regarding prep school closure

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News