Pinar Keles
Turkey sometimes appears as a country of contradictions that the students coming from four corners of the world to Turkish universities find hard to grasp.A recent example was brought to light by Istanbul Bilgi University’s History Department and Erasmus Club.
Last year Bilgi’s History Department together with the Erasmus Students Club organized a tour of museums and historical sites in Istanbul for the exchange students to have a taste of the rich history of this land. Turkish students were also participating in the expedition. But when the group arrived at the entrance of the first museum, they were faced with a rule that discriminated foreign students from their Turkish friends.
Turkish students were allowed to enter showing their student passes issued for museums for 10 TL that gave them access to all museums and historical sites. But foreign students, according to the rule put into practice by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism last year, were to pay 20 TL for each single visit.
The rector’s office wrote to the Istanbul office of the ministry to find a remedy for this situation which obviously was neither in the interest of Turkey’s efforts to promote her historical riches nor a hospitable attitude towards foreign students who have chosen Turkey under the student exchange program.
The reply was negative. It said, according to Article 5 of the rules! only Turkish citizens are entitled to purchase museum cards.
It is understood that the Culture and Tourism Ministry does not observe one of the main universal rules of student exchange under international agreements. According to this rule “Exchange students who continue their studies in countries that are party to this convention are entitled to enjoy all the advantages granted to the students of that country.”
Since students coming to Turkey under the Erasmus Program are issued ISIC (International Student Identity Card) which is recognized in 100 countries including Turkey, the museum rule seems to be one of those bureauratic contradictions of this country hard to grasp.
Foreign students can enjoy students discounts in municipal transportation, cultural events like movies and theaters using the student passes obtained through the rectorates of their universities.
Hasan Pehlivan, a student at Bilgi’s History Department who was one of the organizers of museum expeditions says he has contacted the Istanbul office of the Culture and Tourism Ministry again and again explaining the illogicality of the discriminatory rule. “At every occasion I got the same answer. Foreign students must have Turkish nationality to obtain passes,” he says.
Istanbul Bilgi University is still trying to correct this rule. Either the ministry will amend the strict rule on Turkish nationality or our foreign students will become Turkish citizens to enter the museums!
