"Turkish Schools Serve Universal Peace"
Taking the Lumina Educational Institutions established in the country as a model for education reform, the Romanian Parliament has once again brought to the agenda schools opened by Turkish entrepreneurs abroad.
The schools, seen as a "bridge for peace" between Turkey and the country they are established, attract praise from broad circles of society, from academics to artists, and from politicians to generals. In an atmosphere where clashes among civilizations are discussed, Turkish schools open their doors to everyone with no discrimination against language, religion, or race; they are the address for universal peace and tolerance.
Bulent Ecevit, the former Turkish Prime Minister, said Turkey's power will increase with the spread of Turkish schools. History Professor Kemal Karpat said, "Getting to know the schools more closely and appreciating them is a duty for every Turk." Turkish History Institution Chairman Professor Yusuf Halacoglu describes the educators by saying, "They are like those representing the idea and philosophy of Hodja Ahmad Yasawi." "The schools contribute positively to Turkey gaining strength in the world," retired Lt. Gen. Altay Tokat said.
Many things have been said so far, and many pages have been written about the educational institutions that have become a trademark, "Turkish school".
Turkish entrepreneurs that went to Turkic republics that declared their independence after the disintegration of the Russian Federation in the 1990s opened the first Turkish school in Azerbaijan's capital Baku.
The opening of Hasret Bridge at the border of Nahjevan, one of the projects of the late Turgut Ozal, was realized by Haydar Aliev, the future Azerbajani President and Ali Bayram on behalf of the delegation from Turkey that rushed to help its neighboring countries.
Hasret Bridge gradually turned into a bridge of education. The education bridge established between Turkey and the Central Asian countries grew in the short space of 15 years, and now extends across the world.
The "schools of love," aiming at establishing admiration between humans regardless of language, color, and religion, operate on behalf of Turkey with nearly 300 educational institutions in more than 90 countries.
Professor Ilber Ortayli compared Turkish schools to foreign schools in the Ottoman territory. One of the significant qualities of these schools is its contribution to the promotion of Turkey. With the help of these schools, people previously unable to even point Turkey out on the map, have learned about Turkey and the Turkish people. Eurasia Strategic Research Center (ASAM) Director General and retired ambassador Gunduz Aktan assessed the schools contribution to promoting Turkey abroad, "The younger generations in countries with Turkish schools are learning to speak Turkish. This situation provides a great advantage to Turkey in world globalization. It is important for a generation that will one day reach state administrative positions to have good relations with Turkey during their formative years. We also know that it is difficult and that we have been unsuccessful in promoting Turkey to certain people whose views have been shaped and formed and have already established unchanging prejudices. Through these schools we are able to educate from an early age people willing to examine Turkey positively."
Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics Professor and Sabah newspaper writer Mehmet Altan, who received his education from a school opened by Jesuit priests in Turkey, evaluated Turkish schools as "a declaration of Turkey becoming more international."
Drawing attention to one of the significant issues facing modern countries that of promotion and being promoted, Gazi University Communication Faculty, Professor Naci Bostanci said: "Turkish schools will present Turkey's future through promotions that are not 'instant, temporary, or far from real relations," but that are stable, dependant on real relations and form deep humanitarian relations."
Turkish will be the language of the 21st century
Promoting Turkey and the Turkish people depends on teaching the Turkish language. Although Turkish is among the world's significant languages, it does not receive much interest. Another important quality of Turkish schools is "Turkish language education". People are now able to learn Turkish thanks to these schools that opened around the world, from Africa to Siberia, and from the Far East to across the oceans. Former Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said in a conversation regarding the schools, "The power of the Turkish language and Turkey will increase with the expansion of those schools." Reporter-writer Ali Bulac emphasized in his assessment of the schools that the 21st century will be the century of Turkish. He said, "The 19th century was the century of French and the 20th century was the century of English. About 100,000 non-Turkish people can speak Turkish thanks to these international Turkish schools. If we do not create unnecessary obstacles, the 21st century will be the century of Turkish, we owe this to the Turkish schools that have expanded across the world."
A deputy of the Nationalistic Movement Party, Nevzat Kosoglu highlighted that one of the effective tools in making Turkish a world language, is education. Kosoglu said, "Presently, many black, white and Asian children are learning Turkish. They participate in Turkish speaking and writing competitions in Turkey. We now know that a common alphabet and written language cannot be provided by organizing conferences and commissions. Education is the best and most effective method to develop, introduce to the world and make Turkish a world language. English has become a world language with economic and political advantage available to those nations that speak it. France and Germany are also in that competition. If Turkey enters such a competition, what way other than education could help Turkey win? (By Tuncer Cetinkaya, Istanbul)
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