Delivering an address at the inauguration ceremony of Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Zagreb, President Erdoğan said: “Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Zagreb will provide free Turkish courses to Croatian citizens besides promoting Turkish culture and arts. Yunus Emre Institute will also step up cultural exchange and consolidate friendship between Turkey and Croatia.”
Holding official talks in Croatian capital city of Zagreb, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the inauguration ceremony of Zagreb Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center, which was established by Yunus Emre Institute. During the ceremony, in which First Lady Emine Erdoğan, ministers and officials participated as well, President Erdoğan delivered an address.
“YUNUS EMRE INSTITUTE AIMS TO PROMOTE TURKISH CULTURE”
Describing the inauguration of Yunus Emre Institute in Zagreb as an historic moment, President Erdoğan stressed that Turkey is located at the intersection point of ancient civilizations that steered world history. “We established Yunus Emre Institute in 2009 during my prime ministry with the aim to promote Turkish language, culture, history and arts across the world and step up our cultural exchange with different societies and geographies,” President Erdoğan said.
“45 YUNUS EMRE TURKISH CULTURAL CENTERS IN 37 COUNTRIES”
Expressing that efforts they have exerted for 7 years with good intentions have come to fruition, President Erdoğan shared the following data with regard to Yunus Emre Institute: “As of today there are a total of 45 Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers in 37 countries. About 700 arts and cultural activities in a wide range of fields are conducted in various cities across the world, including festivals, exhibitions, workshops, art lessons, concerts, interviews, symposiums, etc. Educational materials developed by Yunus Emre Institute for use in Teaching Turkish to Foreigners are being used in Turkish courses offered by Yunus Emre Institute and other organizations that teach Turkish all around the world.”
The institute is currently providing academics and educational materials to 70 universities in 38 countries as part of the Turkology project, noted President Erdoğan, voicing his pleasure for the successful cooperation between Zagreb University's Turkology Department and Yunus Emre Institute.
RADIO VOICE OF TURKISH
Pointing out to 'Voice of 1000 Years Turkish Festival,' during which the institute hosted 500 students from 60 countries in Turkey last year and to 'Radio Voice of Turkish,' via which the institute addresses the world in Turkish, President Erdoğan underlined: “Listeners of this radio all around the world can improve their Turkish while also being kept posted about the latest developments in Turkey through broadcasts in line with their level of proficiency in Turkish.”
Drawing attention many shared words in Turkish and Croatian languages, including some two thousand words used in daily Croatian, President Erdoğan said: “Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Zagreb will provide free Turkish courses to Croatian citizens besides promoting Turkish culture and arts. Yunus Emre Institute will also step up cultural exchange and consolidate friendship between Turkey and Croatia.”
President Erdoğan ended his address by wishing the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center to yield good results for both countries. After the address, the First Couple, together with ministers and officials, cut the inauguration ribbon.
Afterwards, President Erdoğan left Zagreb for Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was seen off at Zagreb International Airport by Chief of Staff of the President of Croatia Domagoj Juricic, Foreign and European Policy Advisor to the President of Croatia Dario Mihelin, Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Zdravka Busic, Turkish Ambassador to Zagreb Ahmet Tuta and other officials.
