Turkey’s entrance to international education: The case of Turkish maarif foundation

Abstract

The Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMF) is the most recent state-led institution to promote Turkey’s cultural diplomacy and soft power. Since 2016, it has contributed to the transformation of international education with a Turkey-centric perspective through its schools, dormitories, and universities in more than 40 countries. Through its educational fairs and student guidance from abroad to Turkey, TMF has the potential to play a coordinating role in An-kara’s educational outreach to the world. Similarly, TMF’s activities should be seen to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals in education, especially in LDC countries. This article contextual-izes the Turkish Maarif Foundation in Turkish foreign and domestic policy and outlines a vision through evaluating its activities over the past three years.