15.11.2026 20:31
Teachers awaiting appointment, gathered at Ankara Ulus Square under the leadership of Eğitim Gücü Sen, demanded that at least 50,000 teacher appointments be made within the scope of the 2026 Academy Entrance Exam (AGS). Union executive Tuba Nur Olçay, who said she had been waiting for an appointment for four years, called for the total number of appointments and branch quotas to be announced as soon as possible, along with a fair branch distribution.
Teacher candidates who gathered in Ankara demanded the appointment of at least 50,000 teachers within the scope of the 2026 Academy Entrance Examination (AGS).
Dozens of teachers who gathered at Ankara Ulus Square under the leadership of the Education and Science Power Solidarity Union (Eğitim Gücü Sen) demanded the appointment of at least 50,000 teachers within the scope of the 2026 AGS. The group, which unfurled a banner reading 'This country's teachers are ready,' chanted '50,000 quotas are AGS's right' and 'Don't stay silent, shout out, 50,000 is a right.'
WAITED FOUR YEARS FOR APPOINTMENT
Making a statement on behalf of the group, Eğitim Gücü Sen Deputy Chairman Tuba Nur Olçay said, "I am here today not only representing Eğitim Gücü Sen but also as a teacher who has waited four years for an appointment. I will begin my speech not by making statements but by asking questions. The addressees of my questions are not the teachers waiting for appointment who have come here from all corners of Turkey; they are the people who have caused them to be at Ulus Square today instead of in their schools. Have you ever finished university with great hopes and then waited years for an appointment? Have private school doors closed one by one in your face? Have you been employed as a paid teacher for a salary below the minimum wage? During holidays and weddings, have you avoided entering environments with relatives and friends so as not to be confronted with the question 'Haven't you been appointed yet?' After getting enough points and achieving a sufficient ranking, and giving your family the good news 'This is the year, I am getting appointed this year,' have you ever failed to be appointed that year because the total quota was insufficient or because enough allocation was not set aside for your subject? Then, have you ever turned around and said 'It didn't happen this year either'? That is what happened to our friends here," she said.
WE WANT FAIR SUBJECT DISTRIBUTION
Olçay, who said that as Eğitim Gücü Sen they will continue to voice the grievance of teachers waiting for appointment in every setting, said, "However, when we say teachers waiting for appointment, people say 'It is not obligatory to be appointed to the state. Let them work elsewhere.' Is it thought that the teachers here are not working? Is it thought that the teachers here are not evaluating other job opportunities? If you are not ashamed of anyone when making this sentence, be ashamed of Fedai the teacher, who fell while working at a construction site and lost his life. You are speaking with the arrogance of not having been tested. We, on the other hand, have been embarrassed for years by what Fedai the teacher experienced. Our demand as Eğitim Gücü Sen is clear: We want at least 50,000 teacher appointments. We want fair subject distribution. We want the total number of appointments and subject quotas to be announced as soon as possible. We are not asking for this only for this year. From now on, every year, shortly after the exam, we want the total number of appointments, the subject distribution, and the appointment calendar to be announced. We do not want our fellow teachers to flounder in uncertainty for months. If there are paid teachers, it means there is a need. Allocating the budget to meet this need and making teacher appointments are the responsibility of the public. There is no need for excuses. At least 50,000 teacher appointments are a right and must be made," she said.
The group dispersed without incident after the statement.