Turkey aims to be education hub for foreign students

Turkey received applications from more than 100,000 students across 163 countries for its university scholarship program this year, official data said Friday.

The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), which comes under the Prime Ministry, said that 106,550 foreign students applied to the "Turkey Scholarship" program for the upcoming academic year of 2017-2018.

Only 2,717 students were awarded scholarship in the first round, according to figures received from the YTB.

The program aims to transform Turkey into an education hub of the world, the YTB said.

Each year through this program 5,000 students get scholarship. The number of applications has nearly doubled from 55,181 in 2013 to 106,550 in 2017.

In 2016, 1,425 Syrian students achieved higher education in Turkey through the program

The program not only provides accommodation, food expenses and monthly allowance to undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students, but also an air ticket to their home country once they graduate.

Nearly 16,000 students receive education in Turkey on a scholarship. However, those who obtain education in Turkey without a scholarship cross 100,000.