“EDUCATION IS A NATION’S GREATEST STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL”
At the TED Republic Ball held on October 29, Turkish Education Association (TED) President Selçuk Pehlivanoğlu said a nation’s greatest struggle for survival is education. Pehlivanoğlu added, “We are trying to stand against the mental genocide being inflicted on our children in this country. Enough, stop stuffing information into our children’s heads. For a country to hand its own children a diploma worth less than the paper it’s printed on is nothing but a violation of people’s rights.”
M. FERHAT YÜKSEL
The TED College Republic Ball took place at the Büyük Ankara Hotel. Hosted by Pehlivanoğlu, the evening drew Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş and his wife Nursen Yavaş, Ankara Chamber of Industry President Seyit Ardıç, several ambassadors, and many TED alumni.
IF THE MIND IS HUNGRY, THE STOMACH WILL BE TOO
Delivering the opening speech, Pehlivanoğlu said, “We see education not as a duty of the state but of the nation. In the 21st century, no war is fought with weapons. How deep your history is or how much oil you have doesn’t matter. In the 21st century, if the mind is hungry, the stomach will be too. That’s why we work day and night to shape education policies.”
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF A DIPLOMA
Pehlivanoğlu also criticized Türkiye’s education and test-prep systems: “We are trying to stand against the mental genocide being carried out on our children in this country. Enough, stop cramming information into our children. We must stop making the children of the poor and the financially struggling enrich the barons of the test-prep industry at their doors. When we award diplomas in this country, we must understand their value and act with that awareness. In our faith, one of the gravest sins is violating others’ rights. For a nation to give its own children a diploma worth less than the paper beneath it is nothing but that.”
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EDUCATION
Emphasizing that a country cannot develop without equal opportunity in education, the TED President said, “We, as members of Türkiye’s association, do not divide people by where they were born. We do not classify mothers, sisters, or anyone by whether their heads are covered or uncovered. We do not value people by the money in their pockets; we believe all our children—entrusted to us by this nation and this land—are sacred, and we work accordingly. We know that no education system without equal opportunities can reveal any child’s true potential. No child’s right to education should be taken away due to financial hardship—and it cannot be. A country’s future can rise only in a system where every child can reach their dreams regardless of the geography of their birth.”
NÜKHET DURU ON STAGE WITH MASK AND CROWN
The evening began with dinner and continued with a concert by the Flapper Swing group and dance performances. Later in the night, Nükhet Duru took the stage wearing a costume designed by Gülşah Saraçoğlu. The artist, who performed with a mask on her face and a crown made of feathers on her head, said, “It is a great honor for me to perform at the Republic Ball. As you can see, there isn’t a single part of me left unadorned—I’ve completely sacrificed myself.” After her first song, Duru removed the mask and crown and continued her performance, singing her beloved songs.
