Former chief of Turkish General Staff Hulusi Akar sparked criticism after saying that the purpose of education is to instill a fear of God and a sense of shame before others, rather than imparting knowledge.
Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Akar emphasized the importance of teaching children between the ages of 4 and 12 to fear God, warning that failure to do so would lead to societal issues such as atheism, LGBT identity and drug use. “You’re going to have to deal with atheists, LGBT people and drugs if we don’t instill a fear of God in our children,” he said.
Akar served as chief of the Turkish General Staff from 2015 to 2018 and as the minister of defense from 2018 to 2023. He is an MP from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and chairman of Turkish parliament’s National Defense Committee
“Education is not about acquiring information. Its goal is to teach a fear of God, a sense of shame and a love for the nation, flag and doing good for others,” he said.
Akar’s remarks align with the government’s broader initiative to raise a “pious generation,” a key policy of the AKP’s educational reforms since 2012. The project was initially outlined by then-prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who declared, “We want to raise a pious generation,” highlighting the need for schools to promote conservative and Islamic values.
As part of this effort, the government has significantly expanded the number of imam-hatipschools, which blend religious and secular education. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of imam-hatip middle and high schools has grown to over 4,000 today with over 1.5 million students enrolled.
Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin had previously made a controversial remark emphasizing the need to consider gender-segregated schools to accommodate conservative families.
The expansion of imam-hatip education has been supported by policies that ease access to these schools, such as changes to entrance examinations. However, the “pious generation” project has sparked widespread debate. Critics argue that it exacerbates societal divisions, marginalizes those who do not conform to a conservative religious worldview and undermines Turkey’s secular foundations.
