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The contest, an almost one-month-long marathon of writing, reading, singing and dancing, brought different cultures, colors and religions to perform in one language: the language of peace and love. Depicting a particular language as the language of love can be understood as exclusivity and self-adoration, but the event's long-time board member Orhan Keskin disagrees. According to him the Turkish Language Olympics are a venue of public diplomacy and serve more than just the interests of Turkey. All the countries represented, 110 this year, have the chance to reach the hearts and minds of the other representatives and of the Turkish people. "They love the Turkish people more, but the Turkish people love them more also," says Keskin. Today's Zaman spoke to Keskin, an ambassador of the Turkish language, on the diplomatic aspect of the language Olympics. Your motto labels Turkish a language of love. This label is of course appealing to the Turkish mind. Does it also have ...

The International Turkish Language Olympics, a hugely successful international event now in its sixth year, concluded Sunday night with the finalists receiving prizes in a ceremony held at the İstanbul Show and Congress Center. The 6th International Turkish Olympics, which hosted 550 students from 110 countries who showcased their skills in Turkish, saw a gala night on Sunday. Various prominent Turkish figures, including Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan, Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik, İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler and İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, attended the event, organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER). The students participating in the competition came from different nations and backgrounds but gathered around a common denominator -- Turkish. Many commentators said the event brought the "United Nations" to Turkey. Kemal Gülen and Ebru Ediz were the announcers for the evening, which began with the singing of the national anthem and an ...