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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 Turkey

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

Phone: +90 312 298 71 25
Fax: +90 312 266 50 60
E-mail: naric@yok.gov.tr
Website: https://denklik.yok.gov.tr/
Head of Centre: Fatma Öztürk, Deputy Office Manager, Department of Recognition and Equivalence Services

Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı (YÖK)

Council of Higher Education
Higher education system is centralized and managed by the Council of Higher Education. It is a non-political and autonomous supreme corporate body.


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 noncompulsory 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 system in Turkey 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. 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.

Higher education in Turkey comprises all post secondary higher education programmes, consisting of short, first, second, and third cycle degrees in terms of the terminology of the Bologna Process. The structure of Turkish higher education degrees is based on a two-tier system, except for dentistry, pharmacy, medicine and veterinary medicine programmes which have a one-tier system. The duration of these one-tier programmes is five years (300 ECTS) except for medicine which lasts six years (360 ECTS). The qualifications in these one-tier programmes are equivalent to the first cycle (bachelor's) plus second cycle (master's) degree. Undergraduate level of study consists of short cycle (associate's)-(önlisans derecesi) and first cycle (bachelor's)-(lisans derecesi) degrees which are awarded after successful completion of full-time two-year (120 ECTS) and four-year (240 ECTS) study programmes, respectively.


Link(s): Turkish, English

Access to University Education

Admission to undergraduate study programs is based on nation-wide selection examinations. These central university entrance examinations (called YGS and LYS) are two staged, held once a year and are administered by the Assessment Selection and Placement Center (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. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and Assessment Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) are working in collaboration for admission to undergraduate programs.
As of April 14, 2018, there are 178 higher education institutions (109 state (public) universities, 64 non-profit foundation universities, 5 non-profit foundation vocational schools in Turkey.


Link(s): Turkish, English
International Student Admission
International students who wish to undertake their undergraduate studies in Turkey should 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, which makes its own selection.

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

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


Link(s): English
Mevlana Exchange Programme
The Regulation of Mevlana Exchange Programme was carried into effect as published on the Official Gazette dated 23/08/2011. Mevlana Exchange Program is a program which aims the exchange of students and academic staff between the Turkish higher education institutions and higher education institutions of all higher education institutions throughout the world regardless of geographical borders. Students from Turkish higher education institutions may study abroad for one or two terms and academic staff may lecture abroad from one week (minimum) to three months (maximum). Accordingly, students and academic staff from any country may benefit from this program being hosted by Turkish higher education institutions in order to study or lecture. It provides scholarship opportunities for both academic staff and students.


Link(s): Turkish

Higher Education Institutions in Turkey

Higher education institutions are established in Turkey under the law of The Turkish Grand National Assembly. Within the Turkish Higher Education System, higher education institutions (both public and non-profit foundation) are tied to the Council of Higher Education. Therefore, higher education institutions are recognised by the Council of Higher Education of Turkey since its foundation. Since study programs of higher education institutions are approved by the Council of Higher Education, those study programs are also recognized.


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

No link is available at this time.

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.

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): Turkish, English, French, Russian

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

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. An office in the CoHE was charged with checking the compatibiilty of Diploma Supplement samples from HEIs with the national template, and giving technical assistance. 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.

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

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