Salim Ünsal

Istanbul has witnessed a notable decline in the preference among students to pursue university education in the city, attributed largely to mounting fear of earthquakes, overcrowding and cost of living.

Nine percent of high school students in the country prefer to continue their education through distance learning, where they do not physically attend school and carry out all exams and learning processes remotely as this preference has increased in recent years, local media has reported.

Ömer Demir, the head of the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), announced his resignation on Aug. 21.

The Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) apologized on Aug. 12 for a calculation mistake in the placement scores of candidates entering Turkey's national university entrance exam, which had led to the incorrect placement of over 1,000 people.