Minister of National Education Nabi Avcı answered questions by reporters in the Central Anatolian provincial city of Eskişehir where he attended the introduction meeting of the candidates from the province running in the June 7 elections from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) ticket. 

Answering a question on whether April 24 will also be a holiday like the April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day holiday Minister Avcı replied: “After the change in the regulations April 23 is a holiday but April 24 is not. If our students insist on having the day off on April 24 then I have to remind them that they already have five days as the Transition System from Basic Education to Secondary Education (TEOG) exams are followed by Saturday and Sunday. Students also have to remember that they lost time as we had to close down the schools due to adverse weather conditions in winter. We have to make up for the lost days.”

Minister Avcı also touched upon the stadium that is being constructed in Eskişehir. Minister Avcı told the reporters that the local Super League Division team Eskişehirspor will be playing its games at the 33 thousand capacity stadium next season. Minister Avcı said the old stadium will be brought down and a city park will be built on this land.  “They ask me why we do not use the word ‘park’. I say in the first years of the Republic and even before we used to use a nice word ‘national garden.’ That is why use the expression ‘national garden.’ That place will be a beautiful park for the people of Eskişehir.”