Education should promote understanding, tolerance, peace and friendly relations between the nations and all racial or religious groups and encourage the development of United Nations activities in pursuance of these objectives.

UNESCO: Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Yet if Turkey is to remain competitive it needs to invest far more in research and development (the Directorate for Religious Affairs, which employs thousands of clerics, was allocated double the amount slated for TUBITAK last year).

ECONOMIST: Why secular academics fret about an ��Islamic bicycle��

All state schools are required to provide a daily religious service (though some fail to do so), to teach religious studies and to promote the spiritual and moral development of their pupils.

ECONOMIST: Schools and religion