Rumor: Tim Cook to discuss $4 billion educational iPad deal with Turkish president

Apple CEO Tim Cook has some travel plans next year that’ll bring him to Turkey to negotiate a lucrative deal with the Turkish government. While in Turkey, Cook will both meet with President Abdullah Gül as well as visit Apple’s first retail store in the country. The report surfaced in Turkish publication emlakkulisi.com and was translated by AppleInsider.Cook will meet with Gül to discuss the country’s FATIH Project, which will revolutionize education in the country by replacing textbooks with iPads. The program calls for the purchase of up to 10 to 13 million tablets and is expected to roll out over a four-year period. The total cost of the project could top $4 billion. Earlier this year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Apple headquarters in Cupertino (as shown above) to view the company’s iPad and educational advancements. Cook also will visit Turkey’s first Apple Store in Istanbul’s Zorlu Center. The store is slated to open early next year and will resemble Apple’s well-known Fifth Avenue store in New York City. Continue reading →

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