Dr. Ruhi KILIÇ, General Manager of the Special Education Guidance and Counseling Services attached to the Ministry of National Education of Turkey, has realized a visit on 12.10.2012 at 10.00 a.m. to the TRNC Special Education School and Rehabilitation Center attached to the TRNC Special Education Foundation (SEF), with the purpose of seeing the services rendered by the Special Education Foundation of TRNC on the spot and evaluate the  services involved thereat. Dr. KILIÇ stated that according to the acquis of the European Union, the disadvantaged individuals were given more emphasis, and also added that the special education was a very expensive matter requiring a lot of effort and besides it had to be build on solid grounds. Stating that the special education had been an education focusing on increasing individuals’ abilities, Mr. KILIÇ stressed on the issue that the families involved were not in the position of sending their children to normal schools but, due to the complexity of the matter, the State as well as the non-governmental organizations should have to undertake various duties and responsibilities.

Reminding that the famous names such as; Shakespeare, Beethoven, Lincoln, Aşık Veysel, had been handicapped individuals in the past, and it had to be kept in mind that “people and even birds one day were in the position of keeping to learn how to speak”, Dr. KILIÇ also mentioned that the number of institutions rendering services in the field of special education had to be increased by the Ministry.

In an explanatory note given by Mr. Ersin GÖRSAY to the press it was mentioned that, as SEF, they had been so happy and pleased to see the general manager of the Ministry of National Education of Turkey, Mr. Kılıç,  in TRNC. And also added that their target would be to render the best of services they could do to the individuals developing differently. He mentioned that they had been carrying out those services with the aim of chasing up with the world standards and besides he also stated that they would always be willing to demand all kinds of contributions from the Republic of Turkey, as well.

At the visit, the Undersecretary of the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia Ms. Ayşegül Kandaş AKSOY, was also present,  and she stated that they believed the requirement of giving all the support to the individuals in need of special education within the projects they were developing towards the low income groups of people in TRNC. Ms. AKSOY added that they had been studying on the way and form of support to be given and contribution to be made to the Special Education Foundation (SEF). She added that the visit made by Mr. Kılıç would have been a good occasion towards a good opportunity as such. She finally stated that they would handle the issue of how they could contribute to the activities of SEF, either from Nicosia or through Ankara.