Turkey bans public World Cup screening because of university entrance exam.

Turkey’s Interior Ministry has directed governors across the country to prohibit the installation of large public screens for the national team’s World Cup match against Paraguay, arguing that the event could create noise and traffic disruptions that would interfere with the country’s university entrance exams.

Before the directive, local authorities had planned to show the Group D match against Paraguay on Saturday on large outdoor screens in several cities.

The directive, issued before the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) scheduled for this weekend, has led local municipalities to cancel the planned giant‑screen broadcasts.

The match is set to take place on Saturday morning at 6:00 am local time.

Officials said the measure is intended to protect students taking the exam from noise pollution and traffic congestion.

The YKS is Turkey’s nationwide university entrance exam, taken annually by hundreds of thousands of students seeking admission to higher education institutions.

Football is extremely popular in Turkey, a country of 86 million people, and the national team is making its first World Cup appearance since finishing third in 2002.

Turkey faces a challenge to reach the knockout stages after a 2‑0 defeat to Australia in their opening match; the group also includes co‑hosts the United States.

The Australia match was shown on giant screens in Istanbul and other locations on June 15, attracting large crowds that filled parks and even an ancient amphitheatre in southern Antalya province.

AFP

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