ANKARA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- As Turkey accelerated its efforts for the policy of opening Turkish schools in other countries, its plans in France hit the wall, triggering new unease between two countries.
"We have been in talks with French administration for opening Turkish state-controlled schools in France for the past few years, but talks could not yield result yet," a Turkish official familiar with the negotiations told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
"The negotiations are conducted on the basis that France has its schools in Turkey for many years, and we seek reciprocity for this practice," the official added.
On Friday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry dismissed reports on opening Turkish school in France by the embassy of Turkey, describing it as "illusory and baseless."
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said that the "negotiations over the schools to be opened by Turkey in accordance with the French education system are essentially carried out on a reciprocal basis with these schools in Turkey."
Earlier, French Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer told local reporters that his government does not favor the idea of Turkey opening high schools in France.
Blanquer hinted that Turkey wants to carry its ideology to France through these schools.
"France cannot be an open field for these ... In France, everyone has to follow the rules of the country. I also conveyed our concerns to the Turkish interlocutor," French media quoted Blanquer as saying.
If France creates problem in opening Turkish schools there, Turkey will threaten to do the same in French schools in Turkey, Euronews quoted an official of French Education Ministry as saying on condition of anonymity.
Moreover, Le Figaro reported that a group of officials in Ankara visited the French schools in Turkey and examined the legitimate basis of the education of Turkish children in these institutions.
The daily recalled that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed in 2012 his will to raise "religious generations" and reported that the French education minister is insistent to preserve the secular education system in his country.
France objected this initiative on the grounds of secular principles of the country, and since then Ankara shows the stick of putting pressure on French schools in the country.
There are two French public schools in Turkey's Ankara and Istanbul. The first one, Yunus Emre High School, was opened in Strasbourg, France in 2015, under the system of French Ministry of Education.
Yunus Emre receives its budget from Turkish government and can not conduct any policy in contrast to Turkey's foreign policy, according to its chair Seref Ates.
The institute received 3 billion euros (3.37 billion U.S. dollars) from the EU for cultural dialogue between Turkey and Europe, he said.
The Turkish government launched a policy of expanding Turkish schools in other countries through Maarif Foundation, which is responsible for Turkey's education activities abroad in coordination with the Education Ministry and Foreign Ministry.
The foundation has made official contact with 90 countries, currently running 162 schools in 12 countries.
This case is the last chain of disputes between Ankara and Paris whose political ties faces numerous ups and downs.
In April, Turkey strongly condemned French President Emmanuel Macron's declaration of April 24 as a day commemorating the 1915 events between Turkey and Armenia.
On May 7, Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected a recent French statement of criticism on Ankara-led offshore drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara is also unhappy with France to host Syrian Kurdish leaders as Turkey sees the People's Protection Units as the Syrian branch of outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey.
