It was previously revealed   that the Şırnak Provincial Directorate of National Education and the Provincial Police Department organized seminars under the name “Şırnak Youth and a Safe Future” in schools across the province, during which children were reportedly pressured to become informants. The Ministry of Education confirmed the issue, stating that the "collaborative" initiative reached 3,977 students in Şırnex (Şırnak).

 

Newroz Uysal Aslan, Şırnex MP from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, brought the matter to Parliament following media reports. A parliamentary question submitted on April 21 requesting a response from the Ministry of National Education was answered. The Ministry confirmed the activity conducted in collaboration with the Şırnak Police Department.

 

In its response, the Ministry stated that under the “Informing and Prevention Activities,” which it described as the preventive leg of counterterrorism, police held meetings with students at numerous schools. The response explained that the seminars were held within the scope of the “Youth and a Safe Future” project, aimed at “raising awareness among students against the aims and propaganda of illegal groups.”

 

‘3,977 STUDENTS REACHED’

 

The response stated that the initiative was not limited to the city center of Şırnex, but also extended to high schools in the districts of Cizîr (Cizre), Hezex (İdil), Qileban (Uludere), Basa (Güçlükonak), and Elkê (Beytüşşebap), as well as surrounding towns. Police officers reportedly conducted seminars in these areas. 

 

The Ministry announced that a total of over 40 schools, including imam-hatip, science, social sciences, and vocational high schools, were involved, and that 3,977 students were reached through the program.

 

Newroz Uysal Aslan criticized the Ministry of National Education for prioritizing security policies over children's right to education, highlighting that seminars conducted by police in over 40 schools imposed a security-focused narrative rather than promoting peace and educational development. 

 

She expressed concern that these seminars, part of the "Youth and a Safe Future" project, were conducted without parental consent, exposed students to violent content, and excluded teachers while allowing police officers without pedagogical training to engage with children.

 

She emphasized that the Ministry's approach, by framing the program solely within a counterterrorism context, overlooks serious pedagogical, legal, and ethical concerns. Aslan called for the immediate termination of these practices, urging the Ministry to adopt a curriculum rooted in peace, democracy, and freedom, arguing that true educational progress can only be achieved through nurturing these values rather than imposing security-based interventions.

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut