Recognized Turkish Universities: Will Your Country Accept Your Degree?

Before you choose a university in Türkiye, ask one more question: will my country accept this degree? Lists of recognized Turkish universities are not the same everywhere, because each Arab country decides for itself. Some ministries keep official lists, others check each degree after graduation, and many set rules on attendance or residence. In this guide, we explain who decides in Türkiye and in eight Arab countries, the main conditions and a checklist. However, we do not name any university as recognized or not, because only your country’s official body can decide that.

What are recognized Turkish universities?

Two separate questions matter here. First, the university must legally exist in Türkiye. Second, your own country must accept the degree, often with conditions about how and where you studied. So, for you, recognized Turkish universities are those that pass both tests, for your country and for your program.

Recognized Turkish universities start with YÖK

YÖK, Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education, keeps the official directory of universities. In our count in October 2026, it listed 128 state universities and 74 foundation universities. It also listed 4 foundation vocational schools and 16 universities in the KKTC (Northern Cyprus). A university on this list legally exists in Türkiye. Accreditation, however, is a separate status that YÖKAK, the Higher Education Quality Council, manages.

So start with YÖK, but do not stop there. A YÖK listing is necessary, yet your home country may still add its own conditions.

How Arab countries check recognized Turkish universities

Iraq

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research decides through its Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relations. There, an evaluation and equivalence section reviews foreign degrees. The ministry also publishes guides of approved universities on its university guide portal. The latest guide we found covers 2024/2025, and it asks for regular in-person attendance. To open a study file abroad, it also sets minimum high-school averages of 95% for medicine and 85% for dentistry and pharmacy. We could not confirm a newer guide, so check the ministry’s guides page for the current year.

Egypt

The Supreme Council of Universities equates foreign degrees case by case, after graduation, through its Equivalency Committee. According to the council, the higher-education ministry of the issuing country recognizes its universities, which means YÖK for Türkiye. Practical specialisations also need full-time study. Applications go through the online equivalency system. Your documents need attestation first by the issuing country’s ministry, then by the Egyptian cultural office or embassy.

Jordan

The Ministry of Higher Education’s Directorate of Recognition and Equivalency publishes lists of recognized non-Jordanian universities, which you can search by country. Under its 2025 amended instructions, a bachelor’s student must live in the country of study for at least eight months of every study year. Each stay must also last at least two continuous months or one semester.

Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Education lets you search its recommended universities by country, university and specialty. For equivalency, the institution and program should be on that list. You must also complete at least 75% of the degree at a recommended or accepted institution, with regular full-time study and residence in the country of study. In addition, self-funded students need the ministry’s prior approval, and that approval does not promise equivalency.

Algeria and Tunisia

In Algeria, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) accepts equivalence requests online only. The issuing university and the Algerian diplomatic mission must authenticate your documents. A bachelor’s file must also include a residence permit that covers the study period.

In Tunisia, the Ministry of Higher Education checks entry requirements, years of study, program content and assessment. It also asks for proof that you sat your exams in person. Above all, it advises future students to contact its equivalence administration before they leave to study abroad.

Syria and Morocco

In Syria, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has a certificate equivalency administration. However, we could not read its current procedure for Turkish degrees. In Morocco, the Ministry of Higher Education handles equivalence. The country decrees we found do not include Türkiye, so we expect a case-by-case review. In both countries, check the ministry’s current rules directly before you enrol.

What most countries have in common

• Check before you enrol. Tunisia, for example, tells future students to ask before they leave.
• Study in person and full time. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt all ask for attendance, residence or in-person exams in some form.
• Keep attested originals. Your diploma, transcripts and residence documents may all need stamps.
• Watch extra rules for health programs. Iraq, for example, sets higher entry averages for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Our guides on studying pharmacy in Turkey and studying dentistry in Turkey cover those paths.

A checklist before you enrol at recognized Turkish universities

1. Find your official body. Use the ministry pages in this guide, not agency claims or social media posts.
2. Search the official list. Look up the university and, where possible, the exact program and degree.
3. Read the conditions. Note the rules on attendance, residence, minimum averages and the share of study abroad.
4. Ask for prior approval if needed. Saudi self-funded students, for example, need it before they start.
5. Confirm the university on YÖK. Then look at YÖKAK as well if accreditation matters to you.
6. Keep every document. Save your residence permit, entry stamps, transcripts and attested diploma.
7. Check again over time. Lists and rules change, so check again before you register and before you graduate.

How ILEAP Academy helps you plan

ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. A strong YKS ranking gives you more choice, so you can pick a program that also meets your country’s rules. We start with a level test and explain topics in Arabic. Then we train the Turkish of the exam and run timed practice exams. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. Discover ILEAP Academy, and read our complete YKS exam guide to understand the exam.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one list of recognized Turkish universities for all Arab countries?

No. Each country decides for itself, and some keep lists while others check each degree after graduation.

Does a YÖK listing mean my country will accept the degree?

No. It shows that the university legally exists in Türkiye. However, your own country may still set conditions on attendance, residence or grades.

When should I check recognized Turkish universities for my country?

Before you enrol, and again before you graduate. Rules and lists change, so keep checking the official pages.