Over 130,000 foreigners apply for Turkish scholarships

The number of foreign students applying for financial support in Turkey in 2018 exceeded 135,000, according to the head of Turkey's state-education institution.

"This year, we received 135,000 applications from more than 150 countries in the world," Abdullah Eren, the president of Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), told Anadolu Agency in an interview.

"Our scholarship programs had received around 42,000 applications in 2012," Eren added.

According to the YTB data, 17,000 students from 160 countries are studying in Turkey as part of Turkey's full scholarship program.

"We hope that this number will increase to 19,000 this year […]," Eren said.

He added the institution aims to increase the number of students that receive a scholarship in Turkey to 25,000 by 2023, which marks the centenary of the Republic of Turkey.

Turkey's 2023 Vision sets specific targets for improvements in the areas of economic activity, energy, healthcare, education, and transport.

Established in 2010, YTB has the task to coordinate the activities for Turks living abroad and related communities, and to develop ties through economic, social and cultural activities.