At the heart of a state that promotes itself as multiethnic and democratic, it is facing an educational crisis that threatens to uproot the roots of its language and identity. Education in the Turkish language in Kosovo is in free fall, and the surrounding institutional silence makes this decline even more dangerous.
Written by Enis Tabak
In Prizren, a city that for many is a symbol of coexistence, classrooms in schools teaching in Turkish are emptying. In Mitrovica, some risk closing completely. While institutions promote the inclusion of communities in documents and declarations, the reality on the ground tells a different story: a story of the lack of quality school textbooks, the lack of trained staff, and the lack of political and budgetary attention for an equal part of Kosovo’s society.
Structural problems are numerous. Books in the Turkish language are often outdated, poorly translated from Albanian or Serbian, and do not reflect the local context. Schools teaching in Turkish operate with limited resources, while at the university level, opportunities are scarce, forcing many young people to pursue their studies in Turkey.
Despite some isolated efforts, such as book donations from Turkey or support from political figures within the Turkish community, a long-term state strategy that addresses this issue as a fundamental part of the country’s educational and social development is missing.
From institutional exclusion to the risk of assimilation
While the Agreement on the Normalization of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia provides protection for all non-majority communities, the focus of its implementation has been almost exclusively on the Serbian community. Communities like the Turkish one, despite having political representation in decision-making institutions, remain on the margins of the state agenda. This prolonged administrative and political silence increases the risk that younger generations will lose their connection to their language, culture, and identity.
The Turkish language in Kosovo is not just a means of communication; it is part of the collective memory, a cultural connection, and evidence of a history that goes beyond national borders.
Solutions exist, but they require political will and active involvement. It is necessary to: Create a unit within the Ministry of Education to coordinate education in the languages of non-majority communities, including Turkish; Develop and publish original school textbooks in Turkish, adapted to the Kosovo context; Support universities that offer programs in Turkish and provide continuous training for teachers; Ensure that the implementation of international agreements on community rights is not selective.
The Turkish language is part of Kosovo’s identity as a multiethnic and democratic state. Protecting this education means protecting equality, diversity, and the future of a country still in the process of building itself.
Therefore, education in the Turkish language in Kosovo is a reflection of the institutional approach to diversity. And what this reflection shows us today is negligence and disregard. But it is not too late to change this course with commitment, cooperation, and genuine political will.
(Enis Tabak is a journalist. This publication was made possible within the framework of the “Dialogue, Solution, Future” project, supported by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, and implemented by the New Social Initiative (NSI) and the Musine Kokalari Institute for Social Policy. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany).