By The European Times | Created at 2026-09-01 07:46:34 | Updated at 2026-09-05 07:25:40
3 days ago
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul sent a letter to the 39 district governors of local municipalities and other institutions at the end of July ordering the opening of Muslim prayer rooms in schools, the Haber7 news website reported, citing a letter from the provincial government signed by Gul.
The media outlet cited the document in which Gul described his decision as “an important requirement and an integral part of educational services.” “In line with the spiritual values of our society, meeting the religious needs of our students and educational staff, which are included in their fundamental rights and freedoms, is of great importance. In this context, supporting the social, cultural and moral development of students in a school environment, along with providing spaces where they can practice their faith and worship in an appropriate environment, has become an important requirement and an integral part of educational services,” Gul’s letter said.
Also according to Gul, the purpose of his order is “to enable students to perform their religious duties safely at appropriate intervals, to minimize school holidays for religious reasons, and to ensure the effective use of school hours and the continuity of educational processes.”
Again, according to him, “it is necessary to create prayer areas with appropriate physical conditions in schools for those who wish to participate in collective prayers, such as Friday prayers,” Haber7 quoted him as saying.
Gul has requested schools and educational institutions “to include a prayer area with sufficient physical capacity to allow Friday prayers to be held, and to create areas to be used as masjids (prayer corners, ed.) for Friday prayers by converting appropriate spaces within the existing possibilities,” the media outlet added.
The order to open prayer rooms in schools is presented as part of comprehensive changes to school regulations ahead of the 2026-2027 school year, initiated by the Ministry of National Education in Turkey and published in the State Gazette, with the topics of “bag searches, attendance requirements, discipline, parent-teacher meetings, and the registration and transfer process being completely revamped,” Haber7 writes.
Illustrative photo: pexels-emr-b-2152595715-34513543
