Commenting on the teachers’ resignations, Genris Kuznetsov, the chairman of the executive board of the school, said the teachers were courteous, talented and successful, noting: “I have never received a complaint about a Turkish teacher who worked at the school for the last 14 years. Russian students and their parents were sad when they heard the news.”
Kuznetsov also pointed out that the Russian authorities had invited the teachers to work at the Russian-Turkish College and said: “But after the change made by the Federal Immigration Office in Moscow, there is nothing left for us to do, and our Turkish teachers decided to leave the school. Our school has had 160 graduates over the course of 14 years with Turkish teachers.”
The resignation of the teachers will reportedly not force the school to shut down.
Parents speaking to Today’s Zaman also expressed disappointment and sadness because of the Turkish teachers’ resignation and thanked their parents for sending their children to Russia. Ali İbragimov, the father of a student at the college, underlined the difficulties in establishing friendships between different cultures, adding that “in contrast, it is very easy to destroy them.” He also noted that since relations between Russia and Turkey have recently improved, they have difficulty understanding the reason behind such a decision.
Vais Hafisov, another parent, stressed that the Turkish teachers have a very special place in their hearts, adding that “losing them will negatively influence the students. Their friendship remains in our hearts. I believe that the Turkish teachers in this school are the best ones in Turkey. We are thankful to them. The experiences my daughter had at this school will help her for her whole life.”
