Syria’s curriculum: Ottoman ‘occupation’ replaced by ‘rule’

Reports on curriculum changes in Syria say the language describing the Ottoman period has been revised. Bianet also reports the removal of content on women, the arts and citizenship.

General News

Mirat Haber

27/10/2026 11:21

A⁺

A^-

The portrayal of the Ottoman period in Syria’s school curriculum has reportedly changed. Sözcü reported that sections about Turks had been rewritten, while Anadolu Agency reported a change to the anti-Ottoman narrative. Evrensel’s headline identified a specific revision: the replacement of “occupation” with “rule.” The change directly affects the historical account students encounter.

Key facts

Sözcü reported that curriculum sections about Turks had been rewritten.
Anadolu Agency described the change as a revision of the anti-Ottoman narrative.
Evrensel highlighted the replacement of “occupation” with “rule.”
Bianet reported the removal of content on women, the arts and citizenship.

What changed in the portrayal of Ottoman history?

According to Evrensel, the term “occupation” was removed from the description of the Ottoman period and replaced with “rule.” Anadolu Agency covered the same subject as a change to the anti-Ottoman narrative, while Sözcü said sections about Turks had been rewritten. The reports share a focus on how the curriculum describes the Ottoman period and presents Turks.

These headlines frame the same change differently: Sözcü focuses on the rewritten sections, Anadolu Agency on the narrative’s perspective, and Evrensel on the wording that changed. It is therefore important to distinguish the specific textual revision from the significance each outlet attaches to it.

Bianet’s reporting extends beyond the historical narrative. In its coverage of the new curriculum, the outlet reports that content on women, the arts and citizenship has been removed. That report points to a separate change in content, distinct from the revised wording about the Ottoman period.

How the content changes for students

For students, the most specific difference identified in the reports is the description of the Ottoman period as “rule” rather than “occupation.” Sözcü’s report that sections about Turks have been rewritten also presents the change as a revision to the account within those sections, rather than simply a change to a heading.

For students, teachers and families following curriculum developments, it is important to distinguish two issues: changes to the language describing Ottoman history, and Bianet’s report that content on women, the arts and citizenship has been removed. These are different kinds of revisions: the first concerns the language used to describe history, while the second concerns the subjects included in the curriculum.

Frequently asked questions

What term replaced “occupation”?

According to Evrensel, “rule” replaced “occupation” in the account of the Ottoman period. Anadolu Agency also reported that the anti-Ottoman narrative had changed.

What other curriculum changes have been reported?

Bianet reported the removal of content on women, the arts and citizenship. This was reported as a separate curriculum revision from the wording change in the Ottoman narrative.