95% of agents want the associations to merge because there’s not a lot of difference between them

Over 60 of YEDAD’s members met in August to vote on the organisation’s board and president, who are hoping to inform emerging legislation that will better regulate the country’s burgeoning study abroad market.

This is despite the Turkish government calling on the sector’s associations, UED, TEAG and newest sector association YEDAB (formed last year), to form one group and inform the legislation process as one voice.

“We are not looking for competition. Part of it is to provide the government bodies with the necessary information so that they can set the regulations in place,” Nilüfer Köylüoğlu, President of YEDAD told The PIE News.

With 120 members catering to host countries including China, Europe, Canada and Malta, YEDAD claims it is bigger than all three existing associations.

The two oldest groups are The Association of International Educational Counselors Turkey (UED) with 41 members and Turkish Education Agents Group (TEAG) with 17 members.

International Education Counsellors Association of Turkey (YEDAB) formed more recently in June 2012 and already has 73 members who place some 14,000 students abroad every year.

Although experts estimate  that around 300 to 500 agencies are operating in Turkey, according to established agent Izzet Aslantatar, director of Alternatif agency, there is a lack of information on several smaller agents who are operating without licenses, he told The PIE News.

“It was clearly indicated that the government would not choose one association over the other”

Calls for unity came amidst a growing amount of complaints from parents and students concerned with the quality of services administered by education agents, some of who are teachers running an illegal business in the summer holidays, said Aslantatar.

After YEDAB formed, all three groups met with a willingness to work together and write a constitution under which they could function. However, there were last-minute problems, which kept all three parties divided, according to YEDAB’s General Manager, Emre Barlas.

Speaking of the government’s response to the growing divisions, Barlas said, “in all our talks with the government – which includes the meeting we had with Deputy Prime Minister – it was clearly indicated that the government would not choose one association over the other.”

March 2014 will kickoff a year of local, general and presidential elections for Turkey and the government is keen to have better regulations concerning the study abroad market in place before then.

The unwillingness of associations to unite is, in Aslantatar’s opinion, stalling any real chances of bringing these laws to pass.

“The fragmentation started with egos or personal issues, but it’s mainly because of old habits and cultures,” he explained.

“95% of agents want the associations to merge because there’s not a lot of difference between them, it’s just down to leaders’ personal differences.”

In the long-term these divisions may frustrate the government and reduce willingness to involve industry in the law making process.

Demand for foreign education in Turkey is high with some 55,000 students traveling abroad each year to popular destinations including US, UK, Australia, Canada and Germany. 60% of these students are estimated to use education agencies in the processs.