"L'Echo de Paris" published, on Sunday, September 11, 1910, on page n°3, an article regarding the pretext of the closure of Albanian schools in Elbasan and Korça at that time by the Turkish government, which Aurenc Bebja, through the Blog "Dars (Klos), Mat – Albania", brought to the Albanian public:
Closing of Albanian schools
From our special correspondent
Constantinople, September 10.
A serious decision has just been made by the Turkish government. It ordered the closure of Albanian schools in Elbasan and Korça, on the pretext that the Latin alphabet with which the Albanian language was taught in these schools is contrary to the Muslim faith and the Quran.
It is also said that other Albanian schools will be closed. In short, it is certain that, after the expedition to Albania, Albanians will no longer have Albanian schools, in the true sense of the word, nor will they be allowed to learn their language in Latin letters.
We must compare this decision with another one taken, according to the Smyrna newspapers, by the Ministry of Public Instruction. The latter, in fact, has banned the teaching of the Greek language in Turkish schools in the province of Aïdin.
Here we are dealing with a fundamentally wrong decision, because the real way to attract non-Muslims to Turkish schools, that is, to state schools, is to teach the native languages of these non-Muslims there, while maintaining Turkish, of course, as the first language in school.
It seems that, with these wrong decisions, the Turks want to make Europe believe, quite wrongly, that they have a secret plan to Turkify the different races of the Empire. — P./Darsiani.com
