Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Kurtulmuş Visits Maarif School in Romania

March 27, 2026

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), Numan Kurtulmuş, visited the International Maarif Schools in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, as part of his official visit. During the visit, Kurtulmuş met with representatives of the Turkish community and received information from officials about the school’s educational activities. Prior to the program, he toured the school, visited classrooms, engaged in conversations with students, and presented them with various gifts. He also met with Türkiye Maarif Foundation Romania Representative Alparslan Ateş, school administrators, and teachers, and was briefed on the educational system and ongoing activities of the Maarif schools.
Addressing Turkish citizens during the program held in Bucharest, Kurtulmuş highlighted Türkiye’s efforts in the field of cultural diplomacy. Emphasizing the importance of the overseas activities carried out by institutions such as the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, TİKA, and the Yunus Emre Institute, he stated: “We are extremely pleased to see that through these institutions, Türkiye follows the traces of its past while building strong bridges of friendship in Asia, Africa, and many other parts of the world.” Kurtulmuş underlined that Türkiye’s humanitarian aid and educational initiatives across different regions are not limited to specific communities, drawing attention to the global role undertaken by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation. He said:
“As someone who has witnessed that Maarif Schools are established not only in regions with Ottoman descendants or Turkish communities but also in African and Asian countries with different languages, religions, and cultures, striving to provide education to local populations, I can say this confidently. I have also observed firsthand how TİKA supports local development projects worldwide and how these projects improve the living conditions of communities. These are not only a source of pride for Türkiye; they represent a perspective and understanding that we, as a nation, offer to the world.” In his speech, Kurtulmuş also emphasized Türkiye’s humanitarian approach, noting that the activities carried out across different regions are based on shared values and a human-centered perspective. He stated: “Our principle as the Turkish nation is not to exploit people but to cooperate with them; not to oppress but to respect their freedom and fundamental human values; not to discriminate based on religion or ethnicity, but to regard differences as an asset and treat everyone with dignity and equality.”
Kurtulmuş also noted that the Turkish and Tatar communities in Romania play an important role in relations between the two countries, serving as a cultural bridge. The program concluded after a question-and-answer session.