Turkish Language Olympiads to unite children from 120 countries across the globe in Turkey

Winners of the 7th Turkish Olympiads held in 2009 were recognized at a colorful ceremony attended by thousands of guests, including top state officials, at the ASKİ sports hall in Ankara. A large number of children from many countries will shortly be flying to Turkey for this year’s Olympiads, starting on May 26.

The Turkish Language Olympiads is a contest that has been held annually since 2003, bringing hundreds of foreign students from Turkish schools throughout the world to Turkey. Last year there were competitors from 115 different countries. There were 17 countries participating in the first Turkish Olympiads in 2003, 24 in the second, 41 in the third, 83 in the fourth and 100 in the fifth. The sixth competition drew students from 110 countries and the seventh 115. Five new countries, Wales, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg and Venezuela will participate this year, adding even more diversity. The eighth annual Turkish Olympiads will consist of 750 students in total from 120 countries, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Benin, Ethiopia, Congo, France, Italy, Uganda, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER), the International Turkish Language Olympiads are set to stage colorful shows. The students will compete in 13 categories ranging from poetry to songs. While speaking, writing, grammar, poetry, singing, presentation skills and specific ability contests will be held under the category of “Turkish as a foreign language,” essay writing, poetry and general knowledge contests will be held under the category of “Turkish as a native language.”

Tuncay Öztürk, the deputy chairman of TÜRKÇEDER and general secretary of the Turkish Olympiads, said “We are speaking the same language” will be the slogan for this year’s competition. “We have selected this slogan to emphasize that the Turkish Language Olympiads were envisioned to establish a bridge between people from all over the world, aiming to contribute to unity, love and peaceful understanding among the world’s countries.”

Every year special awards are given at the Olympiads to statesmen, journalists, scholars and businessmen who are thought to have contributed to Turkish language and culture. The Olympiads Organizing Committee, chaired by parlia mentary Education Commission head Mehmet Sağlam, has determined who will be given this year’s special awards. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will be awarded the Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey Award; Interior Minister Beşir Atalay and history professor Lükrü Hanioğlu will be presented the Ali Şir Nevai Award; and Türk Ocakları Chairman Nuri Gürgür and Zaman daily columnist Hekimoğlu İsmail will be awarded the İsmail Gaspıralı Award. The awards ceremony will be held at the Ankara Arena Sports Hall, newly constructed by the Ankara Municipality, on June 5.

Cultural festivals to entertain many in 14 Turkish provinces

In addition, cultural festivals have been planned in 14 of Turkey’s provinces, including İstanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Konya, Antalya, Erzurum, Gaziantep, İzmir, Trabzon, Kayseri, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, Manisa and Samsun during the 16-day event. Hundreds of foreign students will bring traditional costumes, photos, food, handcrafts and music albums from their countries to display at the cultural festivals to promote their countries.

The 8th Turkish Olympiads will be aired live on Mehtap and Samanyolu TV, which are Turkish channels. Furthermore, many local television stations will have an opportunity to air the event live through the Cihan media news agency.

There will also be exhibitions including photographs from the Turkish Olympiads at airports in the provinces of İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.

Ali Taran, an advertiser and jury member in various competitions in Turkey, will be on the jury of the 8th Turkish Olympiads to select the best performances by students. In addition, Taran is planning to prepare an introductory film on the olympiads. He stated that he wants to contribute to the Turkish Language Olympiads as they lead to spreading the Turkish language and promote peace and love between people worldwide.

Turkish actress Pınar Altuğ hosted the students from last year’s Turkish Olympiads at her house. “As soon as the Turkish Olympiads start, I immediately switch to the channel broadcasting them because I feel great pleasure in watching the foreign students who are competing with each other to perform the best show in Turkish,” said Altuğ.

The 8th International Turkish Language Olympiads dance final will be held in Bursa on May 31, the singing final at İstanbul’s Ataköy Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on June 1, the poetry final in Konya on June 3 and the final ceremony on June 9 in İstanbul.

Special magazine to be published for Turkish Language Olympiads

A 123-page magazine will be published for this year’s Turkish Language Olympiads for which many of Turkey’s prominent names have given interviews. Turkish Language Association (TDK) President Şükrü Haluk Akalın, journalist and political commentator Mehmet Ali Birand, Turkish Parliament Education Commission President Mehmet Sağlam, soccer player Hakan Şükür, actor Oktay Kaynarca, columnist Ahmet Turan Alkan and singers Fatih Kısaparmak, Serdar Ortaç and Deniz Arcak were among those who gave interviews for the magazine. A thousand copies will be published this year and the magazine will be sold throughout Turkey at a cost TL 2.

African competitor Meryem loves Turkey

An African girl named Meryem Segna, who participated in the 7th Turkish Language Olympiads, was saddened to hear that she cannot take part in this year’s event. The Olympiad’s conditions dictate that students can only compete once in the event. Segna lives with her family in Gabon, a country in central West Africa, and really loves Turkey and the Turkish language, which she learned at a Turkish school. She tells people about Turkey wherever she goes. Segna’s mother regards her daughter’s room as a “little Turkey.” As soon as you enter Segna’s room, you encounter “Hoş Geldiniz” (welcome) written on a board in Turkish. The walls of her room are full of photographs of Segna taken in Turkey. In addition, there are many gifts given to her by the friends she made at the Turkish Olympiads.

Segna’s family is currently searching the Internet for a home to buy in Turkey because their daughter wants to study here. Segna’s siblings studied in American universities, but she would prefer to study in Turkey, especially in the province of Ankara. She was greatly affected by the hospitality she received from Turkish people during her visit and said she is always surfing websites having to do with Turkey.

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