05.09.2026 16:11
Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin responded to criticisms regarding the dress code directive for teachers. Emphasizing that the regulation is not a new rule, Tekin said, 'As civil servants and public personnel, we simply took a measure to ensure that our fellow teachers dress in a manner appropriate to their social role and without damaging their reputation, and to prevent the rare one or two instances of such dressing from harming the reputation of our fellow teachers. We are determined on this matter.'
Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin responded to the criticisms in the public and political arena regarding the dress code circular issued for teachers. Drawing attention to the role model position of teachers in society, Minister Tekin emphasized that the implementation was not about introducing a new rule but rather reminding of existing public personnel legislation, and that the main goal was to protect the dignity of the profession.
"A TEACHER SETS AN EXAMPLE WITH THEIR LIFESTYLE" Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin stated that the main basis of the decision containing the dress code regulation is the teacher's position in society. Underlining that educators guide students not only with the information they convey but also with their attitudes and behaviors, Tekin said, "In our culture and our social structure, the teacher is accepted as the leader of society. The teacher is seen as a role model for our children. The teacher sets an example for children with the knowledge they impart and with their lifestyle."
Stating that the implementation merely underscores existing rules, Tekin said, "In this sense, we remind our teacher colleagues that they can and should dress in a way that sets an example for our students in terms of attire. Note that I emphasize this: this is a reminder. Because, according to current legislation, since teachers are considered public personnel, they will already comply with the regulations that state officials and public personnel must follow regarding dress."
TO UNIONS: WE DO NOT INTERFERE WITH YOUR ATTIRE Minister Tekin also addressed the criticisms from unions and political parties regarding the circular, stating that the regulation does not target civil society organizations or the internal workings of political structures. Arguing that the criticisms are unfounded, Tekin expressed his reaction with these words: "Is there any statement in our circular that I have not seen regarding how you should dress in your union? I do not interfere with the attire of the people working in your union. This circular neither regulates the dress of people within a political party nor interferes with the attire of people within a union."
"ONE BAD EXAMPLE OUTWEIGHS THE EFFORTS OF 1.2 MILLION TEACHERS" Thanking educators by stating that almost all working teachers dress appropriately for the profession, Tekin conveyed that the decision was taken to prevent rare exceptional cases from harming the entire community.
Giving the example of a teacher entering the classroom wearing a t-shirt bearing another country's flag or advertisement, Tekin said, "One bad example, for instance, a teacher entering the classroom with a t-shirt bearing the advertisement or flag of any country automatically advertises that other country to the children... One single example outweighs the efforts of all 1.2 million teachers at once."
Stating that they are determined to protect the honor of the profession and that a detailed guide has been sent to schools, Minister Tekin concluded his words by saying, "Our concern is to take measures that will increase the quality of education and instruction for our children. This goes through protecting the reputation of teachers and eliminating bad practices that would harm the reputation of our teacher colleagues."