“Even if they are offered the United States or the West, they don’t choose them,” Sadiq Abdullahi Abdi told Anadolu Agency.

“Right now, they all prefer to study here, in Turkey.”

Speaking in Istanbul following a reunion of international alumni from Turkish universities, Abdi said that Turkey has a lot of qualities and culture that make it unique in the world.

Around 1,000 Somali students are currently studying in Turkish educational institutions, he said.

“And they are studying in all fields: medicine, engineering, and agriculture,” and others, he added.

Abdi earned his master’s degree in electronics and electrical engineering at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University in 2006.  

He highlighted that Turkey’s education quality, social structure, and cultural values attract international students, especially from Somalia.

“Because the cultural values are stronger than when you study outside. So most of the students even from the military came here for better training.”