The Rise of Turkey Through Turkish
We can state with certainty that Turkey and the Turkish language have been on an upward trajectory as a result of efforts made over the last 10-15 years.
This period, which is very short when compared with the history of nations and states, and the outstanding success achieved during it point to painstaking labor and efforts.
The remarkable shortness of the period in question also reveals the immense size of the sincere support given to this global act of education by hundreds of thousands of Anatolian people who have always supported the thousands of Anatolian teachers who have exerted superhuman and selfless efforts in countries, the names of some of which they had probably never heard of before.
Although it was a completely exclusionary country until just 25 years ago, Turkey has made itself into a topic of frequent mention through educational institutions and cultural centers inaugurated one after another all over the world. Furthermore, this interest in Turkey is well founded rather than short lived. Turkish educational volunteers, as friends and brothers, give a helping hand to the people of the countries they go to and win their hearts through exemplary actions. The fact that all these actions are voluntary magnifies the size of this extraordinary success.
Turkey is currently hosting a large number of students who are the fruit of years of the selfless, tireless and silent efforts of the Anatolian volunteers who have set off to create a world of peace and serenity where there is no war, pain or hatred. Some 550 students from 110 countries whose languages, religions, colors, races and cultures are quite diverse are in our country to compete with one another in the 6th International Turkish Olympics with their songs, poems and compositions. They are in the motherland of Turkish, which they have learnt from their altruistic teachers as "the language of love." The fact that the number of participating countries has risen to 110 from 17 in just six years points to the great speed at which this voluntary spirit has been developing.
One can't help comparing this progressively growing prevalence of Turkish with English. Just as English, the language of Britain, has become a lingua franca, why can't Turkey occupy a parallel position in the world? What's more, contrary to the rise of English, which occurred at a time when wars waged based on imperial ideals and colonization were at their peak, Turkish, the rise of which is based on fraternity, friendship and peace, is even more deserving of such a position. The children from 110 different countries singing songs of love and dancing together in Ankara prove this thesis.
The educational volunteers who have expanded the horizon of the Turks to see the world from a greater perspective have also oriented the feelings and positive thoughts of millions of people from around the globe toward Turkey. This voluntary movement, which also stands out because of its humanitarian activities in addition to its efforts in the fields of education and culture, is not limited to making efforts for the global rise of Turkish. It greatly contributes to Turkey's rise through fostering its social growth and development and its economy in addition to promoting the Turkish language and Turkish culture.
Turkey's bilateral ties, as well as its commercial and investment ties, gain significant momentum with every country in which Turkish schools and Turkish cultural centers start operating. For instance, Turkish entrepreneurs are investing in many African countries, although probably even the thought of it had never crossed their minds previously. They are setting up businesses and doing business with local businessmen. They are also seeking ways to realize joint projects by inviting their African colleagues to Turkey. This situation holds true also for Latin America, North America, Eurasia, the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific islands.
Moreover, since what is aimed at by learning and teaching new languages is healthier communication, all of the volunteer teachers learn the local languages of the countries they teach in. That is, this cultural and linguistic work is never unilateral. Owing to this exchange, bilingual or "large double-lane socio-cultural highways" are being constructed between Turkey and other countries. It is not just Turkey that profits from this. The countries where the schools and centers operate, not to mention the entire world, also benefit from it.
On behalf of my own children and all future generations, I would like to extend my feelings of gratitude to each and every member of this voluntary movement, which makes incalculably valuable contributions to world peace, and to all the self-sacrificing teachers who work in the Turkish schools.
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