Palestinian students in Türkiye share hope for bright careers in homeland

By Muhammet Tarhan and Ibrahim Hamdi Hacicaferoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) — Palestinian students studying on scholarships in Türkiye dream of the day their homeland will be free, allowing them to return and fulfill their aspirations in Palestine.

At the Gaza Panel and Exhibition through the Eyes of International Students, hosted by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Palestinian students shared their experiences with Anadolu, discussing the challenges in Palestine, their education in Türkiye, and their hopes for the future.

Mariam Menawi, who is pursuing a doctorate in sociology at Bursa Uludag University in northwestern Türkiye, said she has been in Türkiye since 2019. Her family remains in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

“I have relatives in Gaza and two of my cousins were martyred. Another cousin lives in very difficult conditions. We are completely occupied in the West Bank,” Menawi said.

She highlighted the dire conditions in both Gaza and the West Bank: “There are martyrs every day in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers can enter and leave whenever they want. There are military points between West Bank cities.”

Expressing deep concern for her family, who cannot leave Nablus, she said, “The situation is very bad in all of Palestine. This is not new. We’ve been living under occupation for 76 years.”

- ‘My homeland is Palestine, I want to return’

Menawi shared that it took her five years to secure a scholarship for her PhD studies. Winning the YTB's Türkiye Scholarship has allowed her to pursue her degree and support the Palestinian cause.

“Studying in Türkiye is very important for me. From here, I am trying to raise awareness in the world about the Palestinian cause, and this is very valuable,” she said.

On her future plans, she added, “I would like to return to Palestine. The situation there is complicated, but I am waiting for the day I can go back and become an academic in the universities there.”

Menawi remains hopeful for the future of Palestine: “I am waiting for the day when Palestine will be free. Inshallah, it will happen soon. My family and homeland are in Palestine. I love Türkiye, but I want to return to Palestine.”

- ‘I hope to open my first restaurant' in Palestine

Nada Jafar, an undergraduate student studying gastronomy at Istanbul Medeniyet University, also expressed gratitude for the Türkiye Scholarships, which made her education possible.

“Türkiye has become a very valuable country for us. I always dreamed of studying here, and I am grateful for the support,” Jafar said.

Jafar, who has only visited Palestine twice, aspires to return one day and open her first restaurant there. “I can't live there now because my mother, who has a Jordanian passport, cannot enter. But one day, I hope I get the chance to live there and open my restaurant,” she said.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan