Call for Silence for Turkey's YDT Candidates; "The Exam Is Not Over Yet"

On the eve of the 2026 Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) in Turkey, a group of Foreign Language Test (YDT) candidates took a symbolic action to draw public attention to the importance of silence during the final hours of Sunday. This movement, which received wide coverage from the Ihlas News Agency (IHA), highlights a long-standing challenge in the Turkish education system: the general public's disregard for the final stage of the entrance exam [1].

Bafra Students' Initiative for Exam Peace Two candidates named Sura Nur Asan and Aygül Sena Demekeş in the Bafra district of Samsun submitted an official petition to the District Governorate to ensure acoustic security around exam centers. They believe that many citizens assume the exam marathon ends with the completion of the Sunday morning session (AYT) [2]. This misconception leads to car horns, street celebrations, and construction activities disrupting the concentration of language candidates in the afternoon while they are answering life-changing questions.

The Challenge of Public Awareness: Why Sunday Afternoon Is Vital? According to the official calendar announced by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), the YDT exam will begin at 15:45 on Sunday, June 21, 2026, and continue until 17:45 [3]. Speaking to the media, Sura Nur Asan emphasized that foreign language candidates suffer more from noise pollution due to the nature of the questions, which require high concentration. She noted that the goal of this action is not just for themselves, but to create a collective awareness across the country so that no candidate loses their golden opportunity due to environmental noise [1].

Security and Social Measures for the YKS 2026 Marathon In response to these requests, local authorities in various cities, including Çorum and Samsun, have asked citizens to refrain from making any noise near schools from Friday evening until the end of Sunday [2]. Additionally, municipalities have announced that free transportation services will be provided for candidates, and "morale stations" will be set up near centers to distribute water and essential items. This year, more than 203,000 people are participating in the YDT exam, which is part of the 2.5 million total candidates for the 2026 exams [3]. This academic marathon, held in 81 provinces of Turkey and Northern Cyprus, is one of the largest social events of the year in the country.