Turkey to open school in Horn of Africa's Djibouti

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will open a school in Djibouti as part of a cooperation agreement signed between the two countries on Wednesday, Turkish education minister said.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Ankara, Ismet Yilmaz said that construction works would start after Turkey's Maarif (Education) Foundation and Djiboutian authorities sign a memorandum of understanding within one month.

"An area of 30,000 square meters has already been allocated, and the school is expected to open in September 2018," he said.

Yilmaz added that as part of the cooperation in vocational and technical training, there would be student exchanges between the two countries.

The minister also said that Turkey would increase the amount of scholarship granted to Djiboutian students and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, TIKA, would support projects in the country.

Djibouti's Education Minister Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, for his part, praised the "good relations" between the two countries.

He said Turkey's move would be the first of many steps to be taken in line with the agreement on educational cooperation.

The Maarif Foundation was established after July 2016 coup attempt to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is behind the defeated coup.

It also establishes schools and education centers abroad.