The 11th Turkish Language Olympics welcomes many students with different languages, religions and cultures singing Turkish songs, reading poems in Turkish, playing folk dances and much more.
Turkish Minister of Health Mehmet Muezzinoglu participated in the activities organised by International Turkish Association (Turkceder) in Turkish northwestern province of Edirne.
During the activities, 70 children from 28 countries sang songs and performed folk dances.
“Greetings to overseas friends. Many thanks to those who taught our language and national anthem in unknown places,” said Muezzinoglu in Edirne.
Language Olympics held a gala night on Tuesday in Istanbul with the participation of Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade Hayati Yazici.
Emphasising the need for a global language to establish peace in the world, Yazici said, “Organizations are needed to be held in order to establish global peace and stop injustice. We thus need a global language.”
Yazici pointed out the students participating in the Turkish Language Olympics would speak Turkish in international areas in the future, adding that it was a big deal.
Stating that there were around 190 member countries in the UN, Yazici said that 140 out of 190 were represented in the 11th Turkish Language Olympics.
As part of the activities across Turkey, another event took place in Turkish western province of Mugla.
Hosting 60 students from 20 countries, the activities in Mugla were carried out in an ancient theatre in Bodrum town of Mugla.
Among the participants in Mugla activities, there were Justice and Development (AK) Party Mugla deputy Yuksel Ozden, Bodrum Governor Mehmet Godekmerdan and other authorities as well as many spectators.
Deputy Ozden stated that he attended the Turkish Language Olympics in many countries before and said, “The children have been getting prepared for the olympics in a hectic and exciting way. When one of them comes here in Turkey, it is accepted as if all the town or province came to Turkey.”
A group coming from Uganda performed a folk dance of Turkish western province Denizli while 2 other groups from Bulgaria and Moldova played their traditional dances.
The 11th International Turkish Language Olympics kicked off in Ankara with a ceremony held at the 19 Mayis Stadium on Saturday.
Activities as part of the Turkish Language Olympics will continue until June 16 in more than 50 Turkish provinces.As part of the olympics, students from all over the world are presenting activities across Turkey.
