Azernews.Az

Azeris shine at Turkish Olympiads
ANKARA – International Turkish Olympiads started nine years ago and this year students from 130 countries compete in finals. The opening ceremony of the 9th International Turkish Language Olympiads was held in Istanbul at the Dolmabahce Palace on June 15 and the finals will take place in Atakoy Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Friday, June 30. Some 1,000 students from 130 countries have come to Turkey to attend the Ninth International Turkish Olympics. Students from different cultures are bringing their poems, songs and folk dances to the Turkish language festival.

The Turkish Olympiads, inspired by faith in the language, confidence in the people and belief in new generations, has become a great organization, getting stronger and stronger each year. The Olympiads has kindled great excitement and interest in the Turkish language abroad.

The number of participants has surged in past years. Whereas 62 students from 17 countries participated in the first Olympiad, 1,000 students from 130 countries joined the event this year.

This success is not only to please some countries or people but also to show that the whole world can be friends and to help to contribute towards a long lasting peace.

This year’s Olympiads, themed after Yunus Emre’s famous call, "Come and let’s get acquainted," are much more colorful. In line with this year’s theme, students are expected to promote their own culture along with Turkish language and culture.

The Olympiads are organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TURKCEDER). The introductory meeting for the Olympiads was held in Taksim Ceylan InterContinental Otel. The association has produced various commercial films for the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe which were shown in the introductory meeting. TURKCEDER Chairman Dr. Ali Ursavas said thousands of contestants will be coming to Turkey to participate in the Turkish language Olympiad. Thousands of students participating in the Turkish Language Olympiads are news of a new world and contribution to the peace in the world.

Tuncay Ozturk, the secretary-general of the International Turkish Education Association (TURKCEDER), the association that organizes the Turkish Olympiads, notes that that they have given priority to activities that promote cultural exchange. "This year, we tried to ensure that students would reflect the culture of their own countries. Indeed, there is a cultural exchange. While they are learning about us, we will also learn about their cultures," he says.

In fact, this has always been the goal of volunteers of education. While promoting Turkish language and culture, they have brought foreign cultures to Turkey. After marrying local people, some of them have settled in the foreign countries, moved to other countries or returned to Anatolia. They have taught the Turkish language and learned the languages of their students.

Students participating in the Olympiads are coming from the Turkish schools encompassing the whole world. These world famous Turkish schools were first opened in Azerbaijan and President Heydar Aliyev played the key role in this issue. In 1991 after Azerbaijan declared its independence, "CAG" Educational Company began to act in the country. When Mr. Aliyev was the leader of Nakhchivan Parliament, he accepted the proposal to open the Turkish school in Nakhchivan. After that Baku Private Turkish School was opened. The National leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev explained his decision like that: