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Türkiye

National Information Centres

Yükseköğretim Kurulu Tanıma ve Denklik Hizmetleri Daire Başkanlığı/ENIC-NARIC Türkiye
Council of Higher Education Department of Recognition and Equivalence Services/ENIC-NARIC Türkiye

Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı (YÖK)
06539, Bilkent-Ankara/TÜRKİYE

Phone: +90 312 298 71 45
Fax: +90 312 266 50 60
E-mail: naric@yok.gov.tr
Website: https://denklik.yok.gov.tr/
Head of Centre: Dr. Canan ÜNVAN, Academic Expert, Department of Recognition and Equivalence Services

Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı (YÖK)

Council of Higher Education
Higher education system in Türkiye is managed by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE, Yükseköğretim Kurulu-YÖK) which is an autonomous public body responsible for the planning, coordination, governance and supervision of higher education within the provisions set forth in the Constitution of the Turkish Republic and the Higher Education Law.


Link(s): Turkish, English
Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB)
Ministry of National Education
Ministry of National Education is responsible for primary, secondary and high school education.


Link(s): Turkish, English

Education System

The basic structure of the Turkish National Education System consists of stages of non-compulsory pre-school education; compulsory primary (elementary and middle school) and secondary (high school) education; and higher education.

Primary education begins at the age of 5.5 (66 months), lasts eight years and comprises elementary and middle school education, four years each.

Secondary education is also four years and divided into two categories as "General High School Education" and "Vocational and Technical High School Education". The entry into these categories is through composite scores obtained from a centralized exam for secondary schools.

Higher education comprises all post-secondary higher education programmes, consisting of short, first, second, and third cycle degrees in terms of the terminology of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).


Link(s): Turkish, English

Access to University Education

Admission of national students to short and first cycle degree programmes is centralised and based on a nationwide one/two-stage examination(s) conducted by an autonomous public body (Assessment, Selection and Placement Centre-ÖSYM).

Candidates gain access to institutions of higher education based on their composite scores consisting of the scores on the selection examination and their high school grade point averages.

Admission to graduate programmes is directly conducted by the higher education institutions (HEIs) within the frameworks of the publicly available national and institutional regulations. 


Link(s): Turkish, English
International Student Admission
International students who wish to undertake their undergraduate studies in Türkiye must have completed their secondary education in a high school or similar institution in which the education is equivalent to that of a Turkish high school. They apply directly to the university of their choice and the university makes the selection.

International students who wish to pursue their graduate/post-graduate studies in Türkiye also apply directly to the universities, which set their own admission requirements.

There are also various scholarship options which are available for international students.

“Study in Türkiye” is a website developed by the CoHE to inform international students about the higher education system in Türkiye.


Link(s): English

Higher Education Institutions in Turkey

Both state and non-profit foundation universities are founded by law and subjected to the Higher Education Law and to the regulations enacted in accordance with it. In Türkiye, there are 129 state (public), 75 non-profit foundation universities and there are 4 non-profit foundation higher vocational schools. 


Link(s): Turkish, English

Framework

Turkish Qualification Framework on Higher Education (TQF-HE)

Establishment of the TQF-HE was initiated with the decision of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) in 2006. The work was organized and conducted at the national level by a Commission and Working Groups under the coordination of the CoHE.

Qualification framework for associate degree, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree is identified by Directorate decision of CoHE dated 21.05.2009.  The design for framework of TQF-HE in line with EQF was completed in 2009. Consultation processes and national discussions involving higher education institutions, representatives from NGOs, trade unions, ministries and student councils were carried out in 2009. The framework was approved in 2010 by the CoHE regarding the Directorate decision of CoHE dated 21.01.2010.  The web site (https://uluslararasi.yok.gov.tr/uluslararasilasma/tyyc) was prepared in 2011, which provides higher education institutions and stakeholders with developments and up-to-date information on TQF-HE. Implementation phase has started legally regarding Directorate decision of CoHE dated 13.01.2011.

The Regulation of Turkish Qualifications Framework was published in the official gazette dated 19.11.2015 (Under Coordination of Vocational Qualifications Authority- VQA).


Link(s): Turkish, English
The Law Numbered 6111 (student workload and credits)
Regulation with no 6111 Article 44 published in the official gazette dated 25/02/2011. In the calculation of course credits included in Clause 44 of Higher Education Law with no 2547, student work load is regarded based on the acquisition of expected knowledge, skills and qualifications on the basis of each programme and defined for each level within the Framework of Turkish Higher Education Qualifications. Student work-load defines the whole time spent in education and training activities such as laboratories, workshops, clinic studies, assignments, application, projects, seminars, presentations, preparations for exams, exams, training and field training as well as course hours. 1 credit is allocated by the senates of higher education institutions consisting of 25-30 hour student workload.

Within the Framework of Turkish Higher Education Qualifications, 120 credits must be achieved for 5th Level (Associate’s Degree); 240 credits for 6th Level (Bachelor’s Degree); 90 credits for 7th Level (Master’s Degree) and 180 credits for 8th Level (Doctorate Degree). As Programmes such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Veterinary as well as Secondary education teaching programmes consist of 300 credits, these programmes are integrated programmes in master level.

Self-Certification

Turkish Qualifications Database
https://portal.tyc.gov.tr/

Link(s): Türkçe, English

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

According to Regulation of Academic Evaluation and Quality Development in Higher Education Institutions (YÖDEK)(published on the Official Gazette dated 20.09.2005), “License for Quality Assurance” is given for a given time to independent institutions, organizations and boards by Council of Higher Education (CoHE) so that they could maintain external assessment and accreditation on the basis of education and training programmes of higher education institutions in a national level. The purpose of the Regulation is to regulate the principles related to studies on assessment of education, training and research activities along with administrative services of higher education institutions, development of qualities, and approval as well as recognition of quality levels through an independent “external assessment”.

Recently, with the publishing of a new regulation, the Regulation of Academic Evaluation and Quality Development in Higher Education Institutions has been repealed. Regulation of Quality Assurance in Higher Education was carried into effect as published on the Official Gazette dated 23/07/2015. The aim of this new regulation is to enact the essentials related to the authorization processes of internal-external quality assurance, accreditation processes and independent external evaluation institutions for education-training and research activities as well as administrative services of higher education institutions, and the duties, authority and responsibilities defined within this context. Higher Education Quality Board was also established with the new regulation.

On the other hand, 33 Higher Education Institutions in Turkey are evaluated by EUA-Institutional Evaluation Programme between 1999 and 2014.


Link(s): Türkçe, İngilizce
The Higher Education Quality Council of Turkey (THEQC) was founded as part of the 'Higher Education Quality Assurance Regulation' that entered in force upon its publication in the Official Gazette No. 29423 of 23 July 2015. The Council was reorganized according to the Additional Article No. 35 added to the Law No. 2547 on Higher Education following the enactment of the Law No. 7033 on Amendment of Certain Laws and Executive Orders for the Development of Industrial Zones and Subsidization of Production on 1 July 2017.

The THEQC is a public legal entity with administrative and financial autonomy and special budget founded with the aim of evaluating the quality levels of higher education institutions’ education and research activities and administrative services in accordance with the national and international quality standards, and coordinating the processes of accreditation, internal and external quality assurance, and authorization of independent external evaluation organizations.


Link(s): Türkçe, İngilizce

Recognition of Foreign Qualifications

Council of Higher Education (CoHE) is responsible for the assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications in Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. The Department of Recognition and Equivalence Services of CoHE deals with recognition queries in these degrees.

On the other hand, The Inter-University Council evaluates Ph.D. Degrees from abroad.

The Ministry of National Education is responsible for the recognition process of primary, secondary and high school education.


Link(s): Turkish, İngilizce

Responsible organisation

Yükseköğretim Kurulu Baskanlığı (YÖK)
Council of Higher Education
Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı 
Üniversiteler Mahallesi, 1600. Cadde No:10 
06539 Bilkent/ANKARA

Council of Higher Education (CoHE) 06539 Bilkent/Ankara
Phone: 00 90 312 298 70 00
E-mail: cohe@yok.gov.tr
Link(s): Turkish, English

Information on DS (legislation, template, chart, etc)

Diploma Supplement

A national Diploma Supplement template was formed in line with the model recommended jointly by the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES. It is therefore compatible with the UNESCO/CoE/EC template.

The Diploma Supplement has been mandatory at all higher education institutions since the end of the 2005-2006 academic year, by decision of CoHE dated March 11, 2005. Diploma Supplements that include ECTS credits are issued to students upon graduation, in English, German or French, upon request, the first copy being free of charge.

Access to Higher Education

Admission of national students to short and first cycle degree programmes is centralised and based on a nationwide one/two-stage examination(s) conducted by an autonomous public body (Assessment, Selection and Placement Centre-ÖSYM). Candidates gain access to institutions of higher education based on their composite scores consisting of the scores on the selection examination and their high school grade point averages. Admission to graduate programmes is directly conducted by the higher education institutions (HEIs) within the frameworks of the publicly available national and institutional regulations. Admission of international students to programmes at all levels of higher education can be done by direct applications of candidates to HEIs based on publicly available national and institutional regulations.

Turkey has a unitary system consisting only of universities. Therefore, there does not exist a non-university sector in Turkey.

Recognition of Qualifications held by Refugees

Refuge-like Populations’ Access and Participation to Higher Education is mainly coordinated by CoHE. The number of refugees-like persons in Turkey has reached over 3.4 million, including Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans, Somalians and other nationalities. Over 3.3 registered Syrians are under a temporary protection regime granting them a legal temporary protection status based on Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP) and Temporary Protection Regulation (TPR). For details see:
As the central policy maker setting the main legal and institutional framework, CoHE requires and coordinates all HEI’s efforts to improve the participation of refugee students, researchers and scholars. In 2013 CoHE regulated the transfer process from Syria and Egypt Universities (later extended to Yemen) to Turkish HEIs at all class level including the first and the last with requisite paperwork. Additionally, students without documents were directed to selected state universities to be enrolled as “special students”. In 2014 the right to apply as “special student” enlarged to all universities. After transferring to Turkish HEIs validation of documents, transfer and recognition of qualifications and gained competences; with required documents are evaluated by ad-hoc Recognition Committees established by the HEI’s within the faculties.

For Recognition and Equivalence of Foreign Higher Education Diplomas and Degree procedures are carried out by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE). The applicants are required to apply with the documents required for application in accordance with the Regulations on Recognition and Equivalence of Foreign Diplomas.please see: https://denklik.yok.gov.tr/

Decision dd. 18/01/2017 on “Recognition and equivalence application processes for those from countries under war, invasion and annexation conditions” of CoHE introduced procedures for those who are not able to submit diplomas, transcripts and/or any documents proving their level of education.  It has been decided that: “Equivalence applications of those who have conditions of war, annexation and/or occupation in their countries, thus are not able to submit diplomas or transcripts or copies of these documents, and/or any documents showing their level of educational will be carried out by the commissions under a number of universities in Turkey selected for the determination/confirmation of the applicants’ level of education/graduation and concerned have graduated and be subject to the Level and Proficiency Identification procedures”. These countries are listed as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Somalia, Southern Sudan and Crimea.

Those who have applied to CoHE for the equivalence of diplomas/degrees received from the countries/territories with ongoing war, annexation and occupation conditions and who are not able to submit original/copy of the diplomas or transcripts, documents showing proof of education/graduation or missing documents are requested to fill in the declaration form (Turkish - English) including their identification, temporary protection identity documents, residence permits, etc. and information about their education and apply to the CoHE in person or by means of a legal representative. For details latest announcements see: https://denklik.yok.gov.tr/

Recognition and Equivalence Process for Refugees
Ülkelerinde Savaş, İşgal veya İlhak Koşulları Bulunan Kişiler için Tanıma ve Denklik Başvuru Süreçleri

M.Brochure_tr.pdf
Recognition and Equivalence Application Processes for Those From Countries with War, Invasion and Annexation Conditions
M.Brochure_en.pdf

Verification Sources
For information about the authenticity of qualifications, it is possible to contact the awarding institution directly (the list of official HEIs is available here: https://www.yok.gov.tr/universiteler/universitelerimiz; https://www.studyinturkiye.gov.tr/StudyinTurkey/Universities)

Link(s): Türkçe, İngilizce

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